Revelations
by Failte200
Summary: Kigo. And Rosh. Shego got a job with Satan, so she's WAY over her head. It was my first fic.  If you can get through the first 6  short chapters, it gets better, I swear.
1. Chapter 1: Gotcha

_Please let her be here tonight, Shego thought, please don't make me wait another day. I don't think I can._

Shego waited behind a tree in the parking lot of Bueno Nacho. She had been waiting for Kim to show up for the last three evenings, and she was at the end of her rope. If Kim didn't show up tonight, Shego didn't know what she would do. Well, she did... but she didn't want to think about it anymore. She'd thought about_ that _enough. _I just want to see her again, one last time._ _Just see her!..._

Shego had long since ceased to be amazed, and had never been embarrassed, by her attrraction to the red-haired teen hero. _Because I've always known, I think. I just never knew how much._ _The first time I ever saw you blush, Kimmie... _, Shego sighed, _I knew I'd never get over it. Over you._

The idea of lesbian attraction, and lesbian sex, didn't bother Shego in the least. She was rather proud of it, in fact. It fit so well with her self-image as "Mystery Bad Girl". She wasn't lesbian, actually, she was bi-sexual, but "lesbian" had a much more... erotic... ring to it. Had she ever been asked, she would have talked, and talked, _and talked_ about her lesbian desires, and lesbian fantasies, and anything else she could think of with the word 'lesbian' in front of it. Such a deliciously dirty word.

On the other hand, had she ever been asked who those fantasies were _about_... well, that was private.

And if she'd been asked if she _loved_...

_That_ was the place she didn't dare go. Even now. Because love made you vulnerable. Shego was _not_ vulnerable. _Well, I didn't used to be, anyway..., _ she thought.

As Shego looked up at a branch of the oak tree two feet over her head, a painful, longing expression came over her face. _Once, I would have been crouched on that branch to do this, _she thought. _But that was a long time ago. No way I can make it now..._

In fact, she could have made the jump only two months ago, but her condition had deteriorated fast since then. It was two months ago she had found out that she - Shego, Master Thief who didn't kill because she was so good she didn't_ need_ to – had been responsible for over 2,000 deaths... and counting. And those were just the ones she_ knew_ about! After she'd found out, the dreams came. Not dreams of horror, but heart-wrenching dreams of things that might have been, and now wouldn't be, because they were _dead!_ Not tied up in a cell, or knocked out with gas, or chained to a dungeon wall, but _dead!_ And the dreams kept getting more and more frequent... She had tried to handle it with arrogance at first: she didn't even know these people. Wrong place, wrong time. Shit happens. But finally, it had been no use. The dreams... showing her things – people whose options had been stolen, forever denied._ Dead_ people. Killed by_ her! _Thousands...

For the last five days, she hadn't slept at all. The thought of food was obscene, and the smell of it had become sickening. Shego was fading fast, and she didn't really care. Not about herself, anyway. There was only one way out, now. _Stupid stupid stupid!_, she thought for the thousandth time. _Oh well. It'll be over soon. Funny I used to think that **I** was the smart one, and everyone **else** was an idiot. Stupid! And what did I hate about Kim? Yeah, that she was just so sickeningly **good**... STUPID!_

While Shego scolded herself, Kim and Ron, together as usual, walked out the door of Bueno Nacho. They were stepping off the curb, crossing the parking-lot entrance when Shego broke out of her reverie and saw them. She quickly ducked behind the tree - but not quick enough.

-----

"Did you see that, KP?", Ron whispered.

"Yeah. Obviously an amateur. If he'd just kept standing there, it would've been no big. But to hide after you _know_ you've been spotted... or at least he _should _have known... well, just amateur." Kim snickered. " "Okay. You take the left, I'll go right, and let's see what the sitch is."

"How come _I_ always have to go left?", asked Ron.

"Ron...", Kim huffed in exasperation.

"Go left. Got it.", Ron turned to the left, then turned back. Ron was feeling what might best be described as "perky". Getting Kim "huffy" was the main perk of being with her, as far as he was concerned. He really enjoyed playing the buffoon, and was good at it. "Uh, Kim... _my_ left or 'camera' left?"

"RON!", Kim tried to yell, but quietly.

It felt good to be back at the game with Kim again. Their friendship had almost ended after Rufus' accidental death. Kim was still grieving over the loss of her father. Ron had taken Rufus' death harder than Kim thought reasonable. Things had been said... the "sitch" deteriorated... The whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing they were attempting at the time hadn't helped. Both Ron and Kim had felt like they were only playing a part they were _expected_ to play, and they had eventually begun to resent each other for it. They'd "officially" broken-up last week, and in the emotional turmoil since, they had both, alone, realized the truth of their relationship:

_Best Friends for Life_, but that would be all. They were both too young to realize just what that meant, and thought of "Best Friends" as something less than "Lovers", a second-class relationship, and this made them sad. And when Ron (or Kim) felt sad, he (or she) turned to Kim (or Ron) for comfort. And so it goes.

They'd met at Bueno Nacho tonight to try and re-build the bridges they thought they'd burned. Turned out, those bridges were more far more substantial than either of them had thought.

-----

Shego didn't know she'd been spotted – her "thief senses" were all but gone. She'd just caught just a glimpse of Kim's face in the distance, and even just that was more than she could bear. Shego thought she would wait until they had passed, and watch Kim walking away. That would be enough. That would, actually, be about all she could take. Too bad she had to be with Ron, but it wasn't unexpected. _What **do** you see in him?_, Shego thought. _Well, I guess you could do worse, as lovers go. You could have no one at all, not even friends, let alone a 'lover'. _ Shego sighed._ Like me._ She wondered if Drakken counted as a "friend". Didn't matter. Drakken was also part of that other world, the one where Shego could jump straight up two feet without even trying.

"GOT! ... cha?", Kim and Ron spun around the tree trunk simultaneously to confront the mysterious stranger.

Kim's mouth hung open in shock. "Sh – Shego?", she stammered.

Shego had not been a part of Kim's life for over a year. It was as if the green and black vixen had dropped off the planet. No news headlines, no impossible thefts of super-valuable and/or super-dangerous objects... nothing. At first it had been like a vacation, an (almost) welcome relief. But eventually, Kim had felt there was something missing. Now in the summer before her Senior year, she didn't have time to dwell on it. Much. But alone in her bed at night, where there's no one to make excuses to, or be embarrassed in front of, Kim had thought about Shego. Fondly. But she would have never said that, even to herself.

Kim stared openly. The green and black cat suit was gone, replaced by a black turtle-neck and bluejeans. Shego's eyes were sunken back into her skull, leaving dark, puffy bags underneath. Her cheekbones stood out alarmingly, giving the pale greenish woman an almost skull-like appearance. Her hair, once so luxuriously silky and jet-black, looked stringy, thin, and matted. Shego looked like a starving black cat with mange. Kim's stomach dropped in horror at at the sight of her. Then she looked into Shego's eyes, and her heart sank in despair. She could see that Shego had given up. Kim didn't know _what_, but whatever it was, Shego had just – flat-out – given it up. Some time ago, it looked like.

"_DON'T LOOK AT ME!", _Shego cried. For her, watching the expressions play across Kim's face was unbearable. Shameful. Humiliating. She tried vainly to break Ron's grip on her arms, but Ron didn't budge. She tried to flame up, but only managed to get thin slivers of the green plasma to flicker across her closed fists. _So, that's gone too..._ she thought, watching the pitiful fireworks. She stared at the ground. Ron felt her stop struggling, but kept his grip on her all the same. Shego was nothing if not tricky. You could never tell, with her.

Could you?

For Shego it was just too much. She was too tired, too humiliated, too hopeless, and too ashamed. Looking back into Kim's face, she thought, _she's so beautiful..._ and began to quietly sob. Ron released her arms awkwardly, not sure what he should do next. _She's so weak!_, he thought. _And crying?_

Kim was watching as the older girl's shoulders began to hitch. _She's crying, _Kim thought, _Shego's actually crying!_ Kim thought about all the verbal barbs, smart-mouthed comments, and dirty innuendos she'd endured from her enemy. _Arch_-enemy, she corrected herself. _Best of the best. Undefeatable.. well, without help. Or luck. Or Ron._ Kim suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of loss, because she knew something was changing tonight, and all Kim knew was that she would miss the way things had been. She would never – _could_ never - fight Shego the way she used to. Shego's verbal abuse and snide comments would never sting like they did. Her smirk would never infuriate like it used to. And along with each of these thoughts, Kim added, without realizing, _I'll miss it._

A lump began to form at the back of Kim's throat and her breath began to involuntarily shudder. _ Shego crying like that... _Kim felt something rising within her, something powerful, even threatening in its intensity. Empathy? Pity? Compassion? No. Yes. But different. _More_. Shego looked so... forlorn, weak, and – for the first time Kim could recall, - vulnerable. Kim's heart went out to the other girl.

"Help me, Kim", Shego's voice squeaked between sobs, "I'm so scared..."

Not 'Kimmie'. Not 'Princess'. Not 'Pumpkin'. The teenage girl recited the list. Just 'Kim'...

And then Kim's arms went out to her, as well.


	2. Chapter 2: Not letting go

"Help me, Kim", Shego's voice squeaked between sobs, "I'm so scared...".

Not 'Kimmie'. Not 'Princess'. Not 'Pumpkin'. The teenage girl recited the list. Just 'Kim'...

And then Kim's arms went out to her, as well.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The two girls cried in each other's arms for several minutes. To Ron, it seemed like years. At the back of Ron's mind was peculiar feeling, something like deja vu... something familiar. He felt there was something he should be remembering. But mostly he just felt awkward. Still, there was something just... sweet... about seeing them like this. Ron had known for years how Shego felt about Kim. He could just tell; he didn't even wonder how he could tell. In fact, he wondered that no one else seemed to notice. As for Kim's feelings towards Shego... that was more of a mystery. It was... it was like Kim_ wanted_... wanted to feel something, but didn't. Or was afraid to._ Or was **afraid** to **want** to,_ he thought. Ron stared until he realized he must look like a voyeur, and looked away.

_I don't know what it took to break through her ice, he thought, but it's about time. I just wish she wasn't so... shattered..._

When Kim and Shego had toned down to sniffles (finally!), Ron spoke up, "Shego... uh, I know a place... a safe place. No one knows about it", _as far as I know_, he added silently. "You wanna come talk about it?"

Shego looked up at Ron, regaining a shred of composure. _Ron Stoppable, _she thought, _buffoon sidekick of Kim Possible. Honest. True. Absolutely without guile. Everything I'm not. Probably never made a snide remark in his life. _She sighed, _no wonder Kim's in love with him... If she ever were to lose Ron..._

A look of terror seized Shego's face as she remembered, coming to her senses, where she was, what she was doing, and why she was doing it. _Oh my god! If Lee finds out... I've talked directly **to** her! **OhMyGod**!_

"I... you... you have to get out of here!", Shego said, panic filling her features. She looked Kim in the eye for the first time since she'd gone to tears, " It's dangerous... I can't explain. He... my new boss, he... bad things happen. _Very_ bad things happen, Kim. You have to go!", and Shego turned to run, only to find Ron's hands upon her shoulders, holding her back. She tried to shake him off, but it was no use, she was just too weak.

"Stoppable! Let go! Let... LET ME GO!", Shego cried and struggled and pleaded. Finally, in desperation, she added, "Please..."

Shego felt another hand take hers – Kim's hand – a hand that gently pulled her around, face-to-face. "I'm not letting you go", Kim whispered calmly and with unusual seriousness, her emerald-eyes locked to Shego's, "Not this time".

"Kim... Kim you don't understand. _VERY_ bad things happen... You -"

"I AM **_NOT_** LETTING YOU GO! NOT _AGAIN_!" The forcefulness of Kim's statement shook Shego to the core. Ron stood open-mouthed, aghast. Even Kim herself blinked. Where had _that_ come from?

Shego slumped. Helplessness had become second nature to her, lately. "Fine. Call the cops. The GJ. Whatever. Just get away from me!"

"Shego! That's NOT what I meant! Oh! -", Kim rolled her eyes, "You're as bad as Ron! I just meant... I mean...". Kim began to panic as she felt her face getting warmer and warmer, flushed.

Shego saw. And seeing, her breath stopped, her knees felt warm and weak, and a yearning – one she had forgotten out of hopelessness – rose within her, for the first time in... in a long time. Starting from the bottom of her diaphragm, working up to her stomach, her throat... A feeling that could only be called "want". Shego had to look away from the blushing Kim. Ron could feel her tremble, and tightened his grip on her shoulder. Not so much holding her back, anymore, as holding her _up_.

Kim was still stammering, "... it's just... I... I...".

"Shego... look... ", Ron interrupted, for which Kim was visibly relieved, "I... I think we _can_ help. I don't know why I think so, but... I just do. If you'll let us." _What the hell?_, he thought, as plans began to emerge from the mist in his mind, unbidden, unexpected, just on their own, as if he'd always known what to do, and had just been waiting for an opportunity. Ron had never felt like this before. And he had_ not_ been waiting for an opportunity. Had he? _What's happening to me?_

Ron let go of her shoulder as a sign of good faith. "Please", he added.

Shego thought,_ You don't know! You just **don't know!** _She looked into Kim's green-crystal eyes, and saw compassion, empathy, maybe a pinch of pity. And maybe something else. Then she looked over at Ron's puppy-dog-brown eyes and saw...

Understanding?


	3. Chapter 3: Cancer

Shego thought,_ You don't know! You just **don't know!** _She looked into Kim's green-crystal eyes, and saw compassion, empathy, maybe a pinch of pity. And maybe something else. Then she looked over at Ron's puppy-dog-brown eyes and saw...

Understanding?

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego allowed herself to be lead to Ron's car, and climbed into the backseat with Kim following. They left the parking lot in silence. Kim was still too flustered by her former outbreak to speak, and Ron was lost in his own thoughts. To Shego, it was all bad. She felt there was nothing to look forward to, not now. Not even the bittersweet release she'd planned. She stared at the seat-back in front of her, trying to will away the panic she felt.

_Poor Stoppable!_, Shego thought, _he'll probably be the one who pays for this. Which in turn will hurt Kim. Which in turn will kill me. I should never have come. I should never have come._

Meanwhile, in the silence, Kim's anger fumed,_ When I find out who's done this to her, I'll **kill **him... I mean it too. I WILL kill. I just don't understand how any one could... defeat... her like this. So what could... how could she have ended up like this?_

"Shego... what do you mean by 'new boss'?", Kim asked quietly, hoping it was a safe question.

The other girl answered without turning to look, "Calls himself Lee-Jinn. He... _god_ I was so stupid! ... I'm in way over my head, Kim. Way over. I don't really see...".

"What does he _do_ to you? ", Kim interrupted abruptly, "How did you... come to be...?" But she couldn't finish the sentence. "I'm sorry, Shego. It's just that -"

"I know how I look.", Shego answered simply.

Silence.

Shego thought, _what have I got to lose? Absolutely nothing. I've got absolutely NOTHING to lose._ She took a deep breath.

"Kim, he doesn't do anything to _me_,", she paused, gathering the last of her will "... he does them to _you_." _There. Finally. _ Shego turned to look out the window. Middleton passed in the night outside.

Ron was thinking, _Oh, god. What a way to find out someone loves you._

Kim was shaken. "Wh – What do you mean 'does them to me'?"

Shego continued staring out the window into the night. She'd never be able to face Kim again anyway, so what did it matter? "If I don't perform my... missions... satisfactorily, he makes something happen to _you._ Usually..._ usually _not directly to you, but to someone you... care about..." _Which explains why he doesn't bother with me_, Shego thought.

Kim swallowed. "Like what?", she asked softly, not sure she really wanted to hear.

"Like your cancer."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

_Shego had simply walked in the hospital's front door, free as you please, not the least bit stealthy. People in hospitals don't look at stranger's faces much, she thought. Afraid of what they might see. She took the elevator up to 433, Kim's room. While the depressingly cheerful muzak played, she wondered how Lee had done it. "It will be bad for her if you don't perform this mission", he'd said. And he had done something to the teen hero. But what? And how? Shego was there to find out. All she knew was that Kim had been taken to the hospital. Maybe there was something she'd see, some mysterious device or something. With Drakken, there'd always been a short-circuit at the critical time, a malfunction, an obvious self-destruct button. Something to end – or at least change – the situation. But... Lee was different._

_Shego listened at the door and heard nothing but the breathing of machines. She quietly opened the door and stepped in, instinctively looking for a dark corner, in case Kim awoke. Then she looked. She was in the wrong room._

_The girl – if it was a girl – in the bed had a respirator tube down her throat, breathing for her. A dozen other tubes snaked around her body, leading to various machines that blinked and beeped and whirred. She was bald. Shaved? Her eyebrows were gone too. Chemo? Radiation? Her face was... wasted. So were her hands, the only two parts of her above the hospital sheets. Poor girl, Shego thought. But not the one I'm looking for._

_Then she saw Ron curled up asleep on the couch._

_Back on the street Shego staggered back toward the alley where she had parked. Too stunned to think, almost too shocked to breathe. "Oh God Oh God Oh God" echoed through her brain, over and over. As she passed a bag-lady with a shopping-cart full of junk, she heard a voice say "Do your job, and she'll be good as new." Shego looked around for the speaker, and saw the bag-lady staring intently back at her. "Consider this an example", the bag-lady said, and then pushed her cart back the other way, shuffling as she went._

_The mission was simple: steal a particular bag of vaccine from the Center for Disease Control. A vaccine, not a live virus. What could Lee do with a vaccine? Still, Shego didn't like to be involved with things like... diseases. They were too insidious, too subtle. And they attacked you at a level you couldn't defend. Disease frightened her. The CDC, rumored to be a haven for rare biological warfare leftovers from the Cold War, frightened her even more. But Kim..._

_And the day after the mission, Kim was in miraculous and full remission. No one could understand it. And Shego had learned her lesson. Lee was not like Drakken. Lee was Serious Evil. Drakken had been... harmless. Shego had fun with Drakken. Fun! Well, you wanted Real Evil, Shego. You** wanted** it! Went** looking** for it!You got it. Happy? You stupid, **stupid **bitch!_


	4. Chapter 4: You Btch

And the day after the mission, Kim was in miraculous and full remission. No one could understand it. And Shego had learned her lesson. Lee was not like Drakken. Lee was Serious Evil. Drakken had been... harmless. Shego had fun with Drakken. Fun! Well, you wanted Real Evil, Shego. You** wanted** it! Went** looking** for it!You got it. Happy? You stupid, **stupid **bitch!

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

By the time Shego had finished her story, they were parked in an apartment complex. The usual modern, 2-story affair, the kind that went on for acres and acres, identically, like the surface of a giant brain.

Kim and Ron sat there stunned. Shego just closed her eyes and waited for the storm she knew was coming.

But instead, Kim said, "You came to see me. I remember." A green/black shape in the corner, Kim had barely been able to make it out. But of course, she hadn't been able to speak. So she silently prayed, prayed that Shego would light her green fire and burn a hole through her chest.

"A few times", Shego admitted. "Stoppable, you saw me once, I think".

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

_For Ron, Kim's cancer had been the worst time of his life. He was there all day, every day, for a month. It had spread fast. At first, he'd cried his eyes out, half a dozen times a day, but eventually they'd just dried up, replaced by dread and emptiness. Replaced by the sound of the respirator. Some days, the only sound he heard was the damned respirator, all day long. Ron grew to hate it. And then, the worst. Kim had written a note to him one day, that said simply "Unplug it."_

_And oh, **God**, how he'd wanted to. The look of pleading in Kim's eyes, just to end **that**... he'd wanted to with all his heart and mind. And so he stood there, day after day, looking at the machine, unable to look at her..._

_And unable to do it._

_When a tearful Dr. Possible burst into the room with news of the miraculous remission, Ron – inwardly, outwardly, and utterly – collapsed._

_KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP_

"Yes", Ron said weakly. "I saw."

After a painful moment of silence, Ron asked, "What else?" It was like being burned at the stake. _Just get it all over with at once, please._

_Oh, the hell..._, Shego thought. "Your little... I mean, Rufus. And... Kim's... father..."

"No!", Kim cried, a look of terror on her face. To have "bad things" happen to yourself was one thing, but when they happened to someone you loved...

"No! That was an accident. At the rocket-fuel plant! It couldn't have had anything to do with... ", she trailed off, panting, paralyzed, "... could it?"

Shego's voice trembled, "Kim... I'm -".

"NO! _NO_! You... YOU killed... Dad!", Kim screamed. "YOU BITCH!" Kim frantically opened the car door and scrambled out, then she froze, and turned towards Shego once more, "YOU _BITCH_!", she cried again, at the top of her lungs. With that, Kim began to run down the length of the endless maze of the apartment parking-lot. Didn't matter which way she went, as long as it was away.

Shego thought she had prepared herself for this. She was wrong. Kim's words, and her hateful glare... _hate_ful, cut like a knife. She showed no outward sign, but inwardly, something died.

Ron and Shego sat there for awhile in silence.


	5. Chapter 5: Three of Us

Shego thought she had prepared herself for this. She was wrong. Kim's words, and her hateful glare... _hate_ful, cut like a knife. She showed no outward sign, but inwardly, something died.

Ron and Shego sat there for awhile in silence.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Eventually, Ron got out of the car, and opened Shego's door. "C'mon, Shego. Let's go inside. I'll look for her later." He sounded tired. "Her Dad's death was.. hard for her. She'll come around. Just give her awhile." _Time enough to realize that you just told her how much you love her. Do you even know you said it?_

Shego meekly complied.

Ron put his arm around the emaciated girl's waist as she stumbled over the curb, towards the apartment door. The novelty of the situation made them both pause. Ron sighed, "You... didn't really kill her dad... or Rufus... I mean, not... You mean Lee did, right?"

"I was responsible for it. I had been warned. I rebelled. You... and she... paid for it", she replied. It was a well-practiced litany of guilt. Shego hardly even heard herself say it. She'd heard it in her mind so, so many times.

"And Stop – uh, Ron... I know you mean well, in your boy-scout way, but...", Shego turned and faced him directly, "Ron, I'm... afraid. You... and her... are going to pay for this, too. He'll know about it. I don't know how..." Her eyes were those of a naughty child, about to be spanked by her teacher, hoping someone can find to keep the inevitable from happening.

The look caught Ron off-guard. This was a side of Shego he'd have never believed existed. Asking for help. _Beseeching. _What could he say? Looking into her still beautiful, if sad, eyes, he searched his heart for an answer. It was a technique he'd been taught... by someone... at someplace... He "thought" without words, but rather with feelings.

And into Ron's mind, a feeling did appear, surprising, but unmistakably true. _There are four of you, now..._

"Shego... We...", Ron paused, as if the meaning of the word 'we' had just occurred to him, "_We – _the, uh, three of us – _we_ will get through this. But first _we_ have to take care of _you._ Now c'mon."

Ron said it with such – _conviction, sincerity... honesty_ – that the words echoed in Shego's mind over and over. _We, the three of us, _she thought._ The three of us... we... _ The words felt unfamiliar, strange._ Us_. Shego had always been "I", and "me", and "my". How odd to think in terms of "us" and "we". _Our_.

Ron began slowly walking toward the door again, arm still around Shego's waist to help her along. "I... don't think... I don't think you're as responsible for everything as you think" he said quietly, thoughtfully. "I think, maybe, that's just what someone wants you to believe..."

Ron was still trying to figure out where in _the hell_ his thoughts and feelings, were coming from. Why did he think that? Where did the feeling come from? And why, why, _why_ was he so _sure_?


	6. Chapter 6: Kim Gets It

Ron was still trying to figure out where in _the hell_ his thoughts and feelings, were coming from. Why did he think that? Where did the feeling come from? And why, why, _why_ was he so _sure_?

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Ron led Shego to a chair at the kitchen(ette) table. She sank into it. _I'm so tired_, she thought.

"First order of business: food", Ron said, and began rummaging through the fridge. "Ah! cheese. Always a good choice!" The refridgerator seemed to have the magical ability to make him feel like his old self again. _Huh? Is there a "new self"? _ he wondered.

Shego frowned. She didn't feel like eating. In fact, she'd never felt _less_ like eating in her entire life, which, considering, meant she _really_ didn't feel like eating now. But she was too tired, too abject, too depressed, to argue about it.

She looked around. It didn't take long – there was nothing to see. Not a picture on the wall, a book in the shelf... nothing but rental furniture and fluorescent ceiling lights.

"So... a little young for your own apartment, aren't you?", she said, just to say _some_thing, _anything_, to take her mind off... things.

"It belongs to the brother of a friend of mine" Ron answered, filling a saucepan with water. "Works offshore, a month at a time. He let's us..." _Goddammit, Ron! Be careful what you say!_ "uh, let's us use it when he's working."

_So, Kim and Ron's little love-nest, then,_ Shego thought. It was like a slap in the face after being beaten to within an inch of your life. Not much left to hurt. Still does, though.

"Kind of plain." The smell of hot butter began to fill the room. "Ron, I really don't want anything." Shego waited for the nausea she was sure would begin soon.

Ron had his head buried in the spice cabinet. "Fine. Think of it as medicine, then. But you _are_ going to eat." He decided it might be better not to mention _why_ he felt it was so important. It was going to be hard enough to get Shego to do something she didn't want to. Maybe impossible. She was still a proud woman, even now. He could feel that. He wished he hadn't said that last sentence out loud. Confrontation was not going to help. _ Think before you speak, you buffoon!_

But Shego didn't feel the need to fight. If she didn't want to eat, she wouldn't. Simple fact, no need to argue. She did have to admit, though, as Ron stirred basil and thyme into the smoking butter in the skillet... it was starting to smell pretty good in there. _Maybe I'll just pick._ _Don't want to give him the satisfaction, after all. Bad enough I'm calling him "Ron" now... _Then she mentally kicked herself, _After all this, you think of __**food**?_

Shego's thoughts returned to Kim. "Um, don't you think you ought to go after her now?"

"Can't. Sautee' waits for no man. Why don't you go?" Ron said, casually.

She looked over at him. _What's he up to? _Then she corrected her thoughts, _Stoppable? "Up to" something? I don't think so. _She slowly, exhaustedly, got to her feet, went to the front door, and opened it.

To find Kim on the other side, staring at her with an expression that was hard to make out. Serious but soft, questioning but not sure of the question. They stared into each other's eyes for several moments, Shego too surprised to do anything else, and Kim... something was on her mind...

"Jinn..." Kim said.

Shego waited, not sure how to respond, or if one was expected.

"... makes things happen to _me_..." she continued, as if working on an algebra word-problem.

"... in order to punish _you?"_

Shego opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She nodded, still locked in Kim's gaze.

A tear ran down Kim's cheek, but she did not blush.

And for the second time in as many hours, the two girls cried in each other's arms.

Ron, who had heard everything, looked up to the ceiling, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. _Boo-yahhhhh..._


	7. Chapter 7: Schootch Over

Ron, who had heard everything, looked up to the ceiling, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. _Boo-yahhhhh..._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Kim... I -", Shego started.

"PARMESAN!", yelled Ron from the kitchen. "Who wants paarmesan?", he peeked around the corner to ask.

_Dammit Stoppable!_, Shego was thinking, _your timing really sucks!_ She sighed inwardly. The moment had passed.

_Sorry, Shego_, Ron thought back, knowing what she must have been thinking, _ but this isn't the time. Give Kim a chance to catch up._

Kim and Shego had been gazing at each other and sniffling, still in the doorframe. Shego had been willing to go that last little way, in that moment, to expose herself. Knowing that Kim knew, that Kim had figured it out, made all the difference. Shego had swallowed her pride, for once in her life, and it didn't matter that Ron was her boyfriend, that Kim wouldn't feel the same way towards her, perhaps _couldn't_ feel the same way... all that mattered was that _she_ did, and she wanted Kim to know. After that, whatever happened wouldn't have mattered. Shego could've just curled up into a ball somewhere and died happy. And Ron had ruined it.

Through her puffy and tired eyes she shot Ron a baleful look as she spun around, walked back to the table and sat down. Ron caught it and flashed her a wan smile, _Really, I AM sorry, Shego._ Kim followed, sitting at the end of the table, Shego to her left.

Kim's mind was a vibrating silence. She didn't know what to think, or where to start. _She... I mean that much to her? But..._ and it pretty much went on that way, over and over, because Kim was unwilling to follow the chain to it's logical conclusion.

Ron brought Shego a plate of spagetti and sauteed veggies, with mariniara sauce (heavy on the basil, pinch of oregano, half-cup cooking sherry, pinch of a pinch of nutmeg, etc, etc) and sat it down in front of her, pointedly. "Spagetti _al la_ Ron" he said.

"Look, I _told you -_" Shego began. Her mound of spagetti was only about the size of a fist. Shego stared down at her food, expecting the dry heaves to start any moment. " - that I - " she continued, but then the smell hit her. The _smell_ of the steam rising in front of her face... was... not... sickening. In fact, it smelled quite good... In fact, it smelled damned freakin' _delicious!_ Forgetting that she hadn't wanted to give Ron the satisfaction of even _eating – _let along _enjoying –_ his cooking, she began to scarf it down in front of them both.

"Daaaamn_"_, said Kim. She'd never seen anyone eat like a starving wolf before. Even the Tweebs – her little twin brothers – ate with more decorum than Shego was doing. In four bites it was gone.

She smiled sheepishly at Ron, "More?"

"Coming up. You go on like that, you'll make yourself sick. Catch your breath. Drink", still standing (he hadn't had _time_ to sit down), he put a bottle of cold water in front of her.

Kim regained some of her senses. "You say we're in danger? From Jinn? You mean -", she asked.

"No shop-talk at the table!" Ron hollered while dipping out Shego's second helping, only a little bigger than the first. "I think we've all had quite the drama day, so let's just leave the rest of it for tomorrow, 'kay?" He sat Shego's plate back in front of her.

Then they sat in awe as Shego again attacked her spagetti.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

After a shower (Shego'd insisted), Ron had found her an old flannel button down shirt to wear for pajamas. They came down to just above her knees. Shego didn't even bother to make fun of the red-and-green plaid pattern, it felt too good just to be clean, fed, and... (and what she wouldn't admit was, "in the company of friends"). It was not how she'd expected to end the day, to say the least. After obligatory calls home to the Stoppables and Possibles, Ron gave Shego the one twin bed in the apartment, while he took the recliner and Kim got the couch.

Shego felt soooo much better, in soooo many ways that she fell right to sleep. Which turned out not to be a good thing.

Ron and Kim were barely dozing off when they heard the wailing coming from the bedroom. All-out bawling it was, breathless and stuttering. The sound would have been terrible to anyone, but to Kim, it was absolutely, and literally, heart-wrenching. She ran to Shego's bedside and shook her awake.

"Shego! Shego! It's just a bad dream! Wake-up! Shego!", Kim said desperatly, almost crying herself.

Shego grasped at Kim and, realizing who she was, pulled her close enough to bury her head between her pillow and Kim's arm. The bawling quieted, but did not stop. She bawled at the memory of the dream, because even that was bad enough.

The wailing had awoken Ron too, who opened his eyes but did not move. He heard (because he didn't look) Kim leave the couch and go to the bedroom. He had had dreams like that himself, back when Kim lay dying in the hospital. He knew the sound.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

_The monk, in the usual saffron robe, said "Wait here", and Ron waited, studying the floor. He'd come here for someone to talk to, because it seemed no one he knew really had anything to say. Everone offered the usual platitudes, and he needed something more. He needed the dreams to stop._

_Ron studied the pattern in the floor tiles while he waited.. A circle divided into four equal quadrants, and in the upper-right quadrant, there was another, much smaller, identical pattern. Brownish-colored tiles marked various places, symmetrical, yet apparently without meaning, on the outer circle._

"_This way", the monk said, returning. Ron followed, still wondering about the pattern on the floor. Another monk, very, very old, appeared. He was smiling, as if at some sort of inside joke. This struck Ron as almost rude, considering. But still the old man smiled, as if at a long lost friend._

"_So you find us again, eh? Heh heh. Come! You're having bad dreams? Come. We'll fix it"._

_What's he mean 'find them again'? "Do I know you?", Ron asked._

"_You do and you do not. Like everything in Life, it's a gray area. You always search for absolutes... Ron, is it this time? Which is why you always have to search. One day perhaps you will find peace. But that's not why you're here, is it! Heh. Lie down here. Oh, take your shirt off first."_

_Ron removed his shirt and lay on a stone table, covered with a rough matress that was apparently filled with straw. The old man held up a small bottle of some clear liquid._

_KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP_

"This is just water, Shego. Nothing special about it. Except to me", Ron put the vial down on the dresser next to the bed. "We can make the dreams go away, Shego. Believe me." The last part was a statement, not a request.

Both girls looked at Ron with something like bewilderment crossed with disbelief. There was an odd look in Ron's eyes. It was like... _professional detachment_. Like he'd said the same thing hundreds of times, to hundreds of people. He didn't seem to care whether they believed him or not. It didn't seem to matter. It almost seemed like he must have other patients waiting, and so wasn't really interested in their opinions.

He pulled the bedsheets up off Shego's feet. "Open your shirt", he said. "All the way".

Kim's eyes widened. "But... Ron, she's not wearing anything under..."

Ron looked at her as if he were _so_ tired of explaining. "Good", he said simply. He went to find another chair to set beside the bed.

Shego gave Kim a look. _Well... I guess..._ Whatever was about to happen, Ron seemed to know what he was doing. But he was so _serious_._ Could I have been wrong about the whole "buffoon sidekick" thing? Or has he changed..._

When Shego had finished unbuttoning her nightshirt, still under the sheets, Ron said, "Okay. I know this may be a little embarassing, and I apologize. But it's the only way I know how to do it. Please don't interrupt."

Kim said, "I'll just wait..."

"No. You're part of... this too. You stay there", Ron said. Again, it wasn't a request.

Ron pulled the top sheet down to Shego's waist-line, then opened the nightshirt, exposing her breasts and belly fully to view. He did it with total disinterest, like a doctor might. Kim kept glancing back and forth between Shego and Ron, half expecting her to jab him in the throat for his affrontry. She caught a look between them, just for an instant. Shego's expression said _in your hands, _ and Ron's slow blink said _Thank you for your trust_.

Perhaps Ron seemed to be disinterested in Shego's breasts, but Kim wasn't. The effort it took her to keep from looking, coupled with the realization that she _wanted_ to look, made her face burn with embarassment. Because Kim could easily admit she had feelings for Shego. Kim could even have said she_ loved_ Shego. But not_ that kind_ of feelings, or_ that kind_ of love.Luckily for her, no one was watching.

Ron sat up straight and closed his eyes for a minute, breathing evenly. Shego watched. Then he reached over and took his little vial of water and opened it. He dipped a finger into the vial, and then put it to his lips, as if testing it. Finding it apparently satisfactory, he wetted it again, and touched Shego's forehead. Then her hands, and the tops of her feet. Just a single touch with the wet finger, like pushing a button. That done, he proceeded to "paint" a wet line from her lower lip to her belly button. Passing between her breasts, Shego's nipples stiffened, and Kim felt as if her face would catch fire. Ron didn't seem to notice - he seemed to be concentrating.

Next, Ron drew another wet line, left to right, directly under Shego's breasts. Finally, Ron drew a circle with the water, high on Shego's left breast. _Above her heart_, Kim thought. Two gleaming lines of water divided it into four equal parts. The pattern Ron had seen in the floor tiles was completed.

Ron opened his eyes. He tasted the water a final time, as if to ensure it was still all right. He screwed the cap back on the bottle, and closed Shego's shirt back over her. He pulled the sheet back up where it had been.

"Okay", he said, "that's it. No more bad dreams. My word on it." As Ron got up to leave, both girls were still speechless. The color in Kim's cheeks was fading, and Shego seemed oddly calm, all things considered. "Kim, you sleep with her tonight", he added matter-of-factly. He walked toward the bedroom door.

"But... but it's a twin bed...", Kim stammered. _Sleep with her? What?_

Ron spun around and fairly glared with exasperation at Kim, "Well, then! I guess you'll have to _snuggle-up_, won't you?", he challenged. Turning back around he said, "Gah!", and stuck his arms out as if appealing to the gods. He slammed the door behind him.

Kim and Shego stared at the door wide-eyed. Kim thought, _Ron,_ and Shego thought, _Stoppable?_ And they both thought, _what the hell...?_

They looked at each other, open-mouthed, as if each expected the other to explain. _What just happened?_

Suddenly Shego felt a grin start to spread on her lips. She covered it with her hand, but her eyes continued to narrow, until they were two green crescent moons. She kept looking at Kim, who remained frozen in abject bewilderment, staring back at her. And for the first time in her adult life, Shego began to giggle.

"What?" asked Kim.

Shego couldn't answer, but only giggled harder.

"_What!" _Kim started to blush. "It's not funny!" She grabbed one of the bed pillows and threw it into the other girl's face. Shego made no move to avoid it. Kim grabbed it again and began beating Shego's head with it, already fighting off the grin that threatened her mock anger display. "It's not...", Kim started again, but began laughing out loud before she cold finish.

"Oh! Schootch over!", Kim said.

Both of them were asleep within minutes.


	8. Chapter 8: Shego's Breakfast

"Oh, schootch over!" Kim said.

Both of them were asleep within minutes.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim woke up, grudgingly. She was _so_ comfortable, with the warmth of the other girl's back – and backside – on her tummy and, -

Awareness woke her fully in an instant. They had gone to sleep with hardly a word – after the giggling had died off – so exhausted they just fell asleep then and there, too tired to be embarrassed. But now she would pay.

Kim's left arm was folded against Shego's back, and her right arm was curled around the green girl's stomach. Their legs were intertwined carelessly. Kim opened her eyes to find her face buried in raven-black hair. _This is not good! Not good!_ She lied to herself. Because it _was _good, wasn't it... sure smelled good, anyway. And felt -

_No! Don't go there, Kim... This is just... well... y'know, it's not because... this would feel good with any gi- I mean, anyONE, anywhere. I mean, it could as well be Ron, and it'd feel the same way._ She knew she was lying even as the words formed in her mind. And further back in her mind, she tried to force herself not to think, _what was I going to say?_

She needed to pee. Thank _God_ she had something else to think about! Kim carefully unwound herself from the still-asleep Shego, pausing to make sure she _was_ really still asleep.

But the commotion had – however slightly – disturbed the older girl's slumber, and she rolled over, to her right side first, then onto her belly, as Kim watched, wide-eyed. She had never buttoned-up her shirt from the night before, and most of it was wound around her neck. Shego was also halfway out of the covers... maybe two-thirds... The morning light gave an added golden tone to her lightly-olive skin, set off by the white sheets. And, unlike Kim, Shego apparently slept without _any_ underwear on.

Kim stood there transfixed, as her eyes wandered in awe. Shego's face was half-hidden by a fall of jet-black hair, hair that spilled over her shoulder and under her arm. Though she was painfully thin, her muscle definition still shimmered over her rather too-exposed ribs and hips. Kim's gaze slid along her graceful back, muscular butt, long legs, and delicate feet, and then re-traced the same pattern back up, lingering on the small of the other girl's back. It was like her eyes had a mind of their own, and her brain was just along for the ride. Kim experienced something akin to 'wonder', mixed with a liberal dose of 'awe'. She wasn't thinking it, but if she _had_ been able to think at all, she would have thought, _sublime_.

Finally able to break away, to get a grip on herself, she tip-toed out of the bedroom, closed the door quietly, and leaned against the hallway wall awhile catching her breath, trying to calm down. _C'mon, Kim, you've seen naked girls before. You shower with a dozen of 'em every school day. Cheerleaders, too! What... what THE HELL is so different now?_

Ron was frying eggs _and_ making french-toast _and_ sausage _and_ bacon _and_ burning toast (he liked it that way, didn't understand why everyone complained) all at the same time.

"Morning Sunshine", he said, "How's my favorite 'morning-person'?" It was an inside joke. Kim was anything _but_ a "morning-person".

"We need to talk" Kim said sternly.

"Hm" Ron kept fiddling with his dueling frying-pans, "What's on your mind, KP?"

"... well..." Kim didn't really know where to start. "Okay, for starters, how come you brought her to Josh's brother's apartment? In fact, how do you even _know_ Josh's brother? And why do you have a key?"

"Is that all?" asked Ron. _Getting off lightly..._

"It'll do for starters. 'fess up."

"Josh and I ... we got acquainted after the two of you broke up. We... became friends, in fact. And any friend of Josh's is a friend of his brother Todd's, as I'm sure you know. The key is always left on top of the right front tire of Todd's car. Apparently you didn't know that" Ron added, "As for the 'why'... well... you have a better idea?"

After a digestive pause, Kim said, "Okay, I get it. So this is like the clubhouse for 'Kim Possible Ex-Boyfriends', is that it?"

Ron chuckled. "Yeah. There ya go. The KPX. And you can be our honored, grand, and exalted Poo-Bah! Our raison d'etre! The one person without whom our little fraternity wouldn't -"

"Cut it out, Ron", she interrupted. "Someone buy you a dictionary for your birthday? What's a 'raison d'etre'?"

"Reason for existing. Look, why don't you go get Shego up for breakfast, KP... she'll end up going right back to sleep, 'course, but at least I can stuff some more food down her for a few minutes. Do her good."

Kim agreed that any food 'stuffed down Shego' probably would do her good, and got up to fetch her. Just before entering the hallway, she turned to Ron:

"Ron... uh..." Kim wondered how to put it, "what exactly is going on with you, anyway?"

Ron shook the french-toast from side to side in the skillet, "I'm not exactly sure... KP." Then he looked at her squarely, showing that she had his full attention. "No. Fact is, I have no idea what's going on with me. At all." He looked at her –_ through her_, it felt like to Kim – then faintly smiled. "It'll be OK, KP. Heh. OKKP. It's nothing bad. I'll be alright. And so will she." He turned back to the stove.

"You sure?" Kim asked, "About her, I mean?" She was surprised by her own earnestness. _Why would I think Ron would know? Why DO I think Ron DOES know?_

Ron seemed to look off into the distance just over the stove. "Pretty sure" he said. "I think... I think a lot depends on how she... handles things, Kim. Anyway, once she's slept-out, we'll all have a long talk and size up the sitch. 'Kay? Boo-yah! Toast is done!"

A haze of black smoke filled the kitchen.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"C'mon, Shego, try and stand up now... I gotcha", Kim re-assured the half-asleep girl.

"wha th ll yu gtng m uffr?" Shego mumbled.

"So you can get some breakfast. Then you can come right back and sleep some more. Promise."

"bldy fkn hll..." Shego responded cheerfully.

Kim was glad the girl was still half-asleep. She could feel how beet-red her face had become after having had to button-up Shego's nightshirt. If Shego ever remembered that little scene later on, Kim would just die. _I guess I can't blame her for not putting dirty panties back on after a shower, _she thought, _but geez! I'm going to have to go get her some clothes. Mine should fit her. All except my br – _then Kim was stopped by the sad thought that one of her bras probably _would_ fit Shego now. _ Ah, Shego... I hope Ron's right._

Arms around her waist, Kim dragged and pushed the stumbling Shego toward the table. Shego's eyes were closed. Finally, when she was seated in front of two plates of food and three glasses of various beverages, she squinted her eyes open, if only a little. She peered around at the items in front of her.

"Peanubudder" she managed to say.

"What?" Kim asked. _Peanut butter? What for?_

Ron brought out a jar of Jif, opened it, stuck a knife in it, and set it in front of her. He waited to see what would happen, as if he were trying to feed a finicky cat.

Shego picked up the milk and drank it. All of it. Then she spread peanut butter on the french toast, while Ron re-filled the milk. Kim watched, aghast. Noticing the glass was full again, Shego drank it again. And again, all of it. Ron and Kim exchanged shrugs, _beats me... never seen anything like it either..._

The french toast, a pile of three slices, was gone in five bites. Shego had fairly _stuffed_ it into her mouth. When she got it swallowed – it took a few tries – another glass of milk disappeared.

At this point, Shego slowed down – a little.

Before Ron could open another carton of milk, all the sausages, three of the fried eggs, half of the bacon, a tall glass of orange-juice, and half a glass of water were all gone. The toast, however, was untouched. Ron frowned at it. _But... carbon is GOODfor you!_

Shego, somewhat more awake now, sat back and caught her breath. Ron and Kim were looking at her to see if she might explode or something, _al la_ Monty Python. She burped. She looked sleepily up at Ron and smiled mischeviously.

"Ron Stoppable, will you have my children?"

Ron laughed so hard that he actually fell down.


	9. Chapter 9: MY Name is LeeJinn

"Ron Stoppable, will you have my children?"

Ron laughed so hard that he actually fell down.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego finally woke up for real at four in the afternoon. Ron and Kim had been running errands in the meanwhile – always leaving one of them behind at the apartment just in case. Ron bought groceries, and in another trip, a few changes of clothes. Kim went and picked up clothes for herself as well as for Shego. She'd bought Shego a new six-pack of panties, because the thought of sharing _those_ with her was just too... weird.

Shego agreed with the blushing Kim that it had been the right thing to do, even though she would've have been thrilled – _thrilled!_ – to have worn Kim's underwear. _Down girl. Try to keep your mind off it._ But it was hard to do, especially with her blushing like that._ Oh GAWD Kim stop that! It's bad enough I'll be wearing your clothes... You're killing me here!_ Shego had to keep looking the other way, most of the time.

The way Shego kept avoiding looking at her made Kim wonder what she'd done wrong. _Probably thinks green and black are the ONLY two colors_, she mentally sniped.

Finally, Shego had showered (yes, again) and changed, Ron had fed her (yes, again, chicken soup, this time, and crackers with cream cheese) and put the groceries away. Kim had put all the clothes away (Shego's had been _thrown_ away, too filthy and ragged to bother with. Fragrant, too... in an un-perfumed, animal-smell way, leading to more blushing from Kim), and made the bed. She had sighed a lot while doing that.

Shego looked a thousand percent better by the time she sat down at the cleared table. The bags under he eyes were fading, the puffiness subsiding. Her hair was almost as beautiful as it had been, but her cheekbones still stuck out noticeably. Clearing her throat, she took the tone of a college lecturer:

"Okay, Ron. Kim. Let's do this."

They assumed what had come to be their usual positions – Kim and Shego on one side, Ron on the other. The fact that they had fallen into this arrangement did not escape the notice of any of them, but no one mentioned it.

"Wait, lemme get a notebook.", Ron said. When he sat down again, pen ready, Shego began:

_First off, I want you both to know how... grateful... I am for everything. I mean it. I know I've been acting like an, uh, an asshole, for these... well, for a long time. I realize that now. I realize a lot of things, actually... and one of them is that I am a World Class Idiot. Having said that, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't remind me of it as I go through this. Because it would take too much time, frankly._

_So. There I was, after the Bueno Nacho incident fell through, throughly disgusted with always failing, failing, failing... go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200... I blamed it all on Drakken. I mean, he's a brilliant scientist, for a mad one and all... but a disastrous engineer! Y'know, I've thought about that a lot this last year. I'm beginning to wonder if he really was such a..._

_Anyway, I wanted to SUCCEED, for once. So I began looking around for someone else to work for. I let the word get around. As far as I know (sigh), Dr. D never found out I was looking for another job. Poor Dr. D... (ahem), Anyway, I get this voice-mail..._

Missions: perhaps 2 a week. Pay: truly excellent. Difficulty: moderate to nil. Success ratio achieved: 99.9. But it still wasn't the job Shego wanted. For one thing, Lee-Jinn seemed to have no goal. He didn't want to take over the world. He didn't want (or indeed, need) to amass great wealth. He didn't seem to be interested in Power. He never would say what he was planning, if he _was_ planning anything. So there was never a sense of... accomplishment. Shego eventually decided to find someone else, and declared she wouldn't do the "Vaccine Mission". Punishment: Kim's cancer.

More missions, absurdly easy. Blow up a tank of jet fuel in Panama. Steal the ignition wires on a fleet of unguarded trucks in Nigeria. Steal a truckload of ivory in Kenya - and Lee didn't even want the ivory, her instructions were to bury it where it would never be found. Bomb a graveyard ("_a graveyard!") _in Quatar. Shego's "no killing" rule never broken, and not a problem for Jinn. He didn't need an assassin. He needed stealth. A pallet of machine-parts. A DVD of financial data. Almost humorously, steal the final cut of Star Wars: Episode Three _before_ distribution, and put it in the hands of the underground hacker community. ("_ooooh_, I thought, _the MPAA's going to be **really** pissed..._") Stupid jobs. Yes, yes, well-paid... _very_ well-paid. But... just ridiculous!

Then, she'd messed one up. Her skills were getting lax, atrophying. In order to blow up a launch-pad, just a launch-_pad,_ mind you, but at an exact time specified by Jinn, she'd had to arrange a distraction to get the technicians away. Well, long story short, the distraction didn't distract, a single tech stayed behind, and the pad didn't get blown up. Because Shego would not kill. Punishment: Kim's father, dead.

Watching Kim's reaction had sliced into Shego's soul even more than Kim's cancer had. The thief kept trailing her, watching... Every time Kim cried Shego would burn with hatred and shame. Once, as Shego had perched in a tree at Mr. Possible's funeral, she found her hands aflame, setting the branch she was holding onto afire. She patted it out. _Damn that Lee! God DAMN him!_ But all this she could still "deal" with. She'd just have to do her job better. Kim's life eventually returned to normal, and with it, Shego's. Shego's unhappy life, for she lived in perpetual fear of Lee, now. Or was it fear _for_ Kim?

Then, two months ago: Shego, stuck at an airport awaiting fuel for her LearJet. Nothing to do but watch TV and manicure her nails. Big Story: food riots in Nigeria. Hundreds killed by the stampede of a crowd. _Thousands_ killed by "police". Cause: relief trucks delayed. Seems someone had stolen their ignition wires. Not a disaster in itself – trucks will move in a couple of days... but thousands of starving people had been told the trucks would be there _today_, and so...

And so she had at long last become a killer. Mass-murderer, even. Through stupidity. Through ignorance. _Was_ ignorance an excuse? Her dreams seemed to indicate not, at least not to her. She saw other news. Stock market crash caused by corrupt accountancy, leaked to the media from an unknown source. Whole accountancy _houses_ taken down. Rebels in Africa, raiding major cities because they suddenly had run low on cash. It went on. And on and on...

"_Kill me if you want", I told him. "No more. Not me. I don't care how simple the missions are, or how much you pay. I'm out!" That's when... Rufus... got ran over. I'm SO sorry, Ron! I don't know how he does it! I.. I was there, I had been trailing you whenever I could, and I SAW it happen! It looked like an accident... but he said it would happen, and it did... _

It was kind of backwards, wasn't it? Rufus' death as punishment for a _major_ thing like declaring her firm intention to quit, Kim's father's death for a minor problem with a single mission. As Shego had listened to Ron and Kim argue as their relationship broke down, she'd actually felt _glad_ about it. Getting Ron out of the way. _She'll be available... Now I can have her..._ But it wasn't a clean break. She heard Kim crying in her bedroom at night. It broke Shego's heart. And she'd been _happy_ because of that! Shego began to despise herself. No, she already despised herself. She began to _loathe_ herself.

But she kept going anyway, like an automaton. Pretending she was just an instrument, it wasn't her fault. Trying not to think about it, about her, about _any_thing. It worked during the days. But during the nights...

Shego didn't mention her Final Out, the reason she'd been in the Bueno Nacho parking lot the night before. Everything had been prepared. But she had wanted to see..._ had_ to see -just_ see - _Kim... one more time. Perhaps it had finally dawned on her, S_he could be the love of my life. If only._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

When Shego had finished, over three hours had elapsed. Kim and Ron just sat there, apparently studying the pattern in the Formica of the table-top. Shego was mentally exhausted, and was glad to have the chance to wait, quietly, for their reaction, whatever it would be. Just this moment of peace... with them... was all she wanted, more than she'd ever wanted anything before.

Kim was letting it all sink in, without thinking anything. Well, anything except, _poor Shego..._

Ron's mind, on the other hand, was moving a mile a minute, but in no particular direction. A thousand thoughts at once vied for significance in his brain. Underneath them, thousands more _feelings_ fought for his attention. It was all too much, and Ron was caught in the middle, frozen, transfixed, and stunned by what was happening to him, as much as what _had_ happed to Shego.

Eventually, one of the thousands of feelings did break the surface-tension into his consciousness.

_The name._

With something solid to calm his raging mind, Ron reached behind his chair for his backpack, and fished out the Kimmunicator. A few beeps later, "Wade".

"'Sup Ron? Haven't heard from you -" Wade began.

"Wade, see what you can find on the name 'Lee-Jinn'. Not sure of the spelling, so search phonetically. Oh, and... uh, never mind", Ron trailed off. "I've got work to do before that. Just the name, Wade. See if you can correlate it with major headlines from the news. Beep me when you find anything. _Any_thing."

"Okay. What's the -" _click_. Ron hadn't waited. He was thinking out loud, whispering, "_Lee-Jinn. Lee Jen. Li Jin. Li -"._

Ron suddenly froze and turned pale. The girls could tell something had happened, and looked at him expectantly. Ron had a wild-eyed look about him, as if he'd seen something horrible, _terrible_, on some distant horizon. He turned to Shego.

"He said... how did he tell you his name?" he asked.

Shego swallowed. "He said, 'MY name is Lee-Jinn', like that. It did sound kind of odd, the way he said it..."

Ron took a deep breath, and laid his hands before him on the table, looking at them, interlacing his fingers and separating them again, doing something Kim has taught him, when they were both 7 years old. Here is the church, here is the steeple, open it up, and there are the people... _So. _

_So so so..._

He sighed. "I think what he probably said was, 'MYname is legion'".


	10. Chapter 10: Love Nest

So so so...

He sighed. "I think what he probably said was, '**My **name is legion'".

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"I don't get it" Kim said. " 'Legion'?"

"From the Bible" Ron explained, "It's what... Satan... or one of His demons, I forget, calls himself. 'for we are many', is the rest of it."

Kim stared at him slack-jaw, waiting for more of an explanation than that. _Satan? The devil? You can't be serious..._

Shego just continued watching Ron's hands as they did the church, steeple, people thing over and over.

After what seemed like an hour, but was actually only a few minutes, Ron broke out of his reverie. "Yeah, the devil. Chaos personified. The Destroyer, the Trickster, the Liar. Pick your doctrine. Hebrew, Christian, Hindu... _That_ is always the same." He looked up toward Shego.

"Shego. Look" he said. She looked up at him, guilt filling her face, "Shego, it's not your fault, and you are _not_ stupid. He... Lee, let's call him, he's had _millions_ of years, and maybe more that we can't comprehend... he is _the_ Liar. _The_ Trickster. You have been tricked and lied to, but don't blame yourself. Whatever else you may be, and... well, you may be super-human, but you're still only human. Lee is something else. Call it _extra_-human. Outside humanity. _He is not one of us_, Shego."

"I... I still... I did things that caused -", Shego choked.

"Maybe. Or maybe that's what he wants you to _think._ Shego..., bad things happen to good people all the time. Priests and philosophers have been arguing about _why_ for... as long as there have been priests and philosophers. Maybe there's a hidden force at work, or maybe it's just... well, shit happens. And maybe you have had something to do with some of them, but... there are things we'll never know, Shego. But _I_ know you've been _used._ Used by the best, most subtle, most devious User that's ever existed."

Seeing that she wasn't really buying it, Ron reached for her hands across the table, and held them.

"Shego, _I_ don't blame you. _Kim_ doesn't blame you." She looked over at Kim, who could only nod, _ no, I don't_. "Please, Shego," Ron went on, "you've got to stop blaming yourself. I know it'll be... hard... _We_ are going to need you. Maybe... maybe we already do..." Ron released her hands. Shego pulled them back to herself, but Kim took them before she could hide them under the table.

Shego just stared at the table-top. _Please don't say anything Kim... I can't take anymore. I can't deal with people... caring... about me. I just can't. Not even... not even if it's you._

But still Kim held both of her hands. Shego tried to pull away, but Kim just held on tighter. Shego looked up at Kim, about to ask her to let go, please, but the look on Kim's face stopped her words in her throat.

I'm here for you.

Just that, and nothing more. No qualifiers, no details, adjectives, clauses, fine-print, or un-spoken exceptions. _I am here for you._ Simple. Perhaps simpler still: _I am here._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Click. Beep-beep. Yeah, Wade? Look, never mind on the Lee-Jinn thing. Yeah. We figured it out. Look, can you, uh, can you classify news stories by... by their potential to... become disasters? Human disasters. Uh, yeah. Yes, uploading that now. Got it? What? Okay, I'll think about it. Okay, okay, Wade, I'm not a tech, remember? What's an "eigenvalue"? Well, whatever... Wade, I'll get back to you with that, okay? Right. Out.

"Hoo-kay", Ron sighed, "I've got some work to do. Kim, Shego... 'Adult Swim' is almost on. Why don't I make some popcorn and you two can watch some TV. Take your minds off things. Huh?"

They looked at him as if he were insane. After all this? Cartoons? We're dealing with _Satan himself_ and you want us to watch cartoons? But Ron had already got up and gone into the kitchen. They watched him over the breakfast bar, sliding the popcorn into the microwave, punching in the time (Kim noticed he didn't just use the 'Popcorn' button), opening the 'fridge, all in a suite of continuous motion. _He's done this before_, Kim thought. _A lot._

Kim looked at Shego. "Well? Maybe you'd rather... be alone... for awhile?" she asked.

"Nah. Somehow... 'cartoons' sounds like a good idea, right now" Shego admitted, and got up from her chair, with only a little grunting. "Kinna stiff...", she confided with just a trace of humility.

Kim took the end of the couch nearest the TV, while Shego curled up on the other end. Ron brought the popcorn (doctored, of course... lecithin, brewer's yeast, and yes, parmesan cheese) and tossed the remote at Kim. Then he collected his notebook, ripped several pages out and set them aside, took a seat in the recliner, and began his 'work'.

Nothing was said for half an hour. Ron was busy creating a matrix of places, types of activity, assumed priorities, and possible consequences. A chart of Shego's work for the past year. Done the way Wade wanted to see it. _What the hell IS an 'eigenvalue'?_, he thought idly, _I must look that up some time. I dunno what we'd do without Wade._ He looked over at the two girls on the couch, intently watching 'Home Movies'.

Well, Kim was intently watching 'Home Movies' anyway. A little _too_ intently. Shego seemed to be intently watching Kim, and smiling to herself. _Well, looks like she's cheered up, anyway... _Then he noticed: Shego had stretched out her legs and was gently pushing her bare feet against Kim's thigh. So non-chalant. Ron smiled. _God she's cute. But she's going too far too fast._ He sighed.

"Um, Shego, I have some questions about a couple of your missions. Could I talk to you outside? They might get kind of... private."

"Once again, Stoppable, your timing _really_ sucks!" Shego sighed. "But fine. Let's go."

Kim pretended to be so caught up in the program that she didn't notice.

Outside, Shego said, "Y'know, I _really_ don't want to talk about this stuff right now, Ron..."

"Yeah, well... uh", Ron stalled until the door had been closed and they'd walked a little ways down the sidewalk. "You've gotta stop teasing her like that, Shego".

"Huh?" she asked, unprepared. _Huh?_ she also thought.

"You know what I'm talking about. Look... I know she's cute when she's embarrassed, but you're going to make her... resent you, if you keep it up like that".

"I don't know what you're talking about" Shego protested, while her mind whirled. _Does he know? Does he know? Well, so what if he does... _"And besides, I don't think it's any of your business."

"Well, then let me set you straight" Ron began to get irritated. "_She_ is my business!" he pointed back to the apartment. "Everything to do with her, is my business. And that includes you! So you'd best get -" Ron cut himself off.

"Sorry, sorry... just getting... uh... sorry" Ron tried to apologize.

_Oh... my... god...,_ Shego thought. _He knows and he's... ok with it? I have GOT to be wrong about this! She's his girlfriend! What's he thinking?_ And then she realized: Ron thought she was just teasing Kim as per usual. Maybe in a more friendly way, but only a friendly way... not...

"Look, Ron..." Shego began, "I... okay, so she _is_ your business. Don't worry, I'm not going to steal your girlfriend or anything. You have my word." _For what that's worth._

"What?"

"I said I wasn't going to steal your girlfriend, okay? Hands off. I got it. Alright?" now Shego was getting pissed.

"Oh! Ahhhh..." he stopped walking, a perplexed look on his face. Shego watched him carefully. Suddenly he looked at her as if seeing something for the first time, and reached for her hands.

"I guess I owe you an apology, Shego. Um... what we have here is a lack of communication. Heh. She's _not_ my girlfriend. We tried that. Didn't work. Uh... no one's fault... we're just 'Best Friends for Life', is all" Ron had an apologetic tone. He looked at the ground between them and let go of her hands, "Gah! I wasn't thinking! I just assumed... geez. I'm _so_ stupid..." he trailed off.

"Um... I'm on your side here, Shego", he finished, looking back up at her.

Shego was shocked._ My side? MY side? He_ wanted to get_ Kim_ together with_ her? _She stammered, "You... you are? You mean... you... And... and this _isn't_ your little love-nest?"

Ron had a perplexed look on his face again. _Little love nest? Me and... Kim?_ He began to chuckle. "Um, no. This isn't our 'little love nest'" he chuckled some more. Slightly embarassed, he turned away, trying to hide his smile. The chuckles turned into guffaws.

"Ok ok ok" now it was Shego's turn to blush, faintly pink behind the light green, "It wasn't _that_ funny!"

Ron's laughter died down slowly. "Actually, it was", he looked back around at her. "Why Shego! Now _you're_ blushing! I never would have believed it!"

Shego looked down at the sidewalk, actually flustered.

"And y'know what? You're just as cute doing it as she is, too", he said with a smile – a different sort of smile.

She looked at him, furrowing her eyebrows. _Huh? What's gotten into you, Ron?_

Ron turned around and began walking back toward the door. "Look" he said, not turning to see if she was following, "just take it easy, huh? She has more... issues... to deal with than you do". She heard him start to chuckle lightly again.

"Ron!" she said suddenly.

"Hm?" he turned around.

"Uh... are you saying... I mean, do I... is she..." she sighed heavily, "What are my chances?" _I can't believe I just said that! To him!_

Ron regarded the raven-haired – but still way to skinny – girl. _ God, lesbians are sweet. _"Well, Shego... I really don't know. I mean, I know how you feel about _her_. You're an open book – sorry, I don't mean that in a bad way. At least as far as _that_ goes" Ron said sincerely, "but her feelings towards _you_ are... something of a mystery. Shego, I, uh, get the feeling that your chances are pretty good, but I also think that you _could –_ if you really tried - ...uh – well – fuck it up. Beyond All Repair."

_Can he be serious? Is he serious? _"Are you serious?" she finally said.

"I daresay. About both parts, too" he replied.

Shego thought about that for awhile. "Ron, why are you talking like that?"

"Like what?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"'I daresay'. Have you been watching Brit-Coms or something?"

He smiled self-deprecatingly. "Maybe..."

"Well, stop it. It's freaking me out. Kim too, I think."

Ron just have a "Heh". He _did_ have a taste for dry English comedy... but it has been awhile since he'd seen his last 'Fawlty Towers'...

She walked up to where he was, looking him in the eye. "Well, anyway, if you catch me 'fucking it up', whack me on the head, huh?" she half-smiled. She resisted the urge to give him a peck on the cheek, surprised that she had even considered it.

"Deal."

She thought, _You're all right, Ron,_ as they walked back to the door. Then, a new thing occurred to her: _Do I have a friend, now? But... that's not the right word, is it..._

They went back in and resumed their positions. But this time, Shego kept her feet curled up under herself.

Meanwhile, in their absence, Kim had had an epiphany:_ TWO can play at THAT game, Shego..._


	11. Chapter 11: RugMuncher

They went back in and resumed their positions. But this time, Shego kept her feet curled up under herself.

Meanwhile, in their absence, Kim had had an epiphany: _TWO can play at THAT game, Shego..._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim pretended to remain involved with the program, but she was aware – and a little disappointed – that Shego had curled her legs up under herself. _Hmm. No big._ She looked back at Shego, smiling faintly, and grabbed both cuffs of Shego's pants, pulling her legs straight, and setting her feet on top of her nearest thigh. "Slide down a little" she said, oh, so casually.

Ron was watching out of the corner of his eyes. The recliner on which he was working was right next to Shego, and directly in front of the TV. Only a floor lamp separated the recliner and couch. Kim glanced over at him to see if he'd noticed. She caught him watching, and smiled inwardly to herself. _ Two with one stone, _she thought. She turned her attention back to the TV, gently fondling the tops of Shego's feet in her lap with her free hand, while calmly taking a sip of iced tea with the other.

Ron looked over at Shego's face, to find her looking back at him. He gave her a mock frown, _I told you to slow down..., _and she replied with a slightly panicked look of – _It wasn't me! It was her! I didn't DO anything!_ He smiled and went back to his spreadsheet. _How's it feel to be on the other end of the stick, Shego?_ He smiled more.

Meanwhile, Shego was in a state of intense anxiety. She had schootched down on the couch, as asked, and was no longer in a position to watch the television at all, being reclined, as it were, too far back. She stared at the ceiling. When she was finally able to stop repeating, "W_hat? What? What? What?"_ in her mind, she clarified her thoughts - probably not quite in this order:_ What's she doing? Does she know what she's doing? Does she know what she's doing TO ME? Why is she doing this? Why is she doing this TO ME? What's she –_ and so on.

Without realizing she was doing it, Shego closed her eyes, because the touch of Kim's fingers was melting her body – and mind – away Kim was just – ever so lightly – caressing the tops of her feet, toes to ankles, and it was... it was... well, indescribable.

Kim knew she was being watched. She could feel Ron's eyes, if not watching her, then watching what she was doing. She started to turn to catch him at it, basking in the warm glow of being able to embarrass someone _else_ for a change. He would try to pretend he wasn't watching, of course, and she could fire off a smart remark, a _Shego_ remark. _Like what you see?_ she ran down the list of barbs she had been pricked with so many times, _Cat got yer tongue, What are YOU looking at, What's the matter, Pumpkin, never -_

_Pumpkin_. Kim's breath caught in her throat.

Suddenly, revenge didn't seem so important, any more. Shego's feet in her lap, soft, warm... delicate. _Yeah, 'delicate', right. Take one upside your head a few times and see how 'delicate' they are. Or into your gut. And then there's the fire..._ She looked intently for awhile at the smooth but sinewy greenish skin, as if trying to find the pores through which the fire came. Kim was no foot-fetishist (whereas Shego _was_), but they really _were_ pretty feet... Then she realized what she was doing, and instinctively looked up at Ron to see if he'd caught her staring at the other girl's toes.

He had. But he wasn't smirking. He didn't have anything sarcastic to say, either, but Kim blushed anyway. Ron put down his pen and held his hand straight out, fingers all together, in front of him. He looked intently into Kim's eyes. Then he took his other hand and, putting his fingertips on the top of the first hand, began to pull – not rub, but_ pull – _the skin above the last two fingers in small circles, ever-widening. _Try this._

Kim did. A light moan escaped Shego's throat, but otherwise she made no sign. _Is she going to sleep?_

"That feels nice..." Shego sighed. Startled, Kim looked guiltily over at her, but Shego was still laying back, eye's closed. Kim was beginning to forget all about "revenge".

Ron nodded his head slightly, enough to get Kim's attention. Still using his own hands as an example, he grabbed his fingers, and began twisting his wrist around, pulling and twisting at the same time, gently but firmly. He smiled at her and nodded again.

Kim could feel it as the bones in Shego's ankles snapped and popped. She was using both hands now, one cradling the other girls heel, while the other pulled on her toes and twisted her foot around.

"Ah!... Oh... hhmmmmm..."

Shego had given in to it. Her mind had finally stopped fighting, questioning, rationalizing, wondering, and she was just enjoying it – the feeling, Kim... the whole thing. It wasn't a conscious decision, but she just didn't have the willpower to resist, anymore. She'd deal with the consequences later, if there were any. Her head sank incrementally further back into the cushion.

After similar treatment to both of Shego's feet, Kim looked up at Ron for further instructions. Ron made an exaggerated bow of his head. Then he laid one hand over the other, and showed her how his thumb was pressing into various places of his other hand's palm.

"Oh... god, Kim..." was all Shego could say.

Ron put his hands behind his head, getting comfortable to watch the show. Kim frowned at him, but only a little. For some reason, she didn't really mind, but she felt like she should, anyway. This was... well, this was just _weird_, wasn't it? _Boys. _ And then, as she returned her attention to Shego, she thought again: _Pumpkin..._

"Whatever happened to 'Pumpkin'?" Kim asked softly. "I kinda liked 'Pumpkin'...". _Is this part of my evil plan?_

"uhmmm... you... you did?" Shego responded sleepily, not really understanding the implications.

"Yeah. Never cared for 'Kimmie' and _really_ hated 'Princess'... but I kinda liked 'Pumpkin'." Kim's hands began to work on her other foot.

"haaaaah..." Shego exhaled deeply, "Okay, 'Pumpkin'. Just please-please-_please_ don't stop. Pumpkin."

Shego was in bliss. What Kim was doing to her was just making everything slide away – guilt, anxiety, pain... and she couldn't have gotten off of that couch if the apartment had been on fire. Added to that, it was _Kim_ doing it. Who'd a thunk it? Her touch was so gentle, yet firm... sensitive... Better than she'd ever fantasized it would be. And she _had_ fantasized about Kim's touch. Maybe not on her _feet_, but...

"I love you so much, Pumpkin" Shego _very_ softly sighed to herself. Or so she thought.

The foot-massage came to an abrupt halt.

"What?" Kim asked with a incredulous tone.

_Uh-oh_, Ron thought, _Show time. __Careful now, Ron. Very careful._

Shego's eye's opened wide in fear. Ron saw it. _She didn't mean to say that..._

"Yes, Shego" Ron put his arms back down, "you did say it out loud. Don't panic. Just tell her how you feel..."

Ron got up and turned the TV off the old-fashioned way, since Kim had the remote. He remained standing in front of it. The silence was deafening, and Kim was looking back and forth from Shego to Ron, suspicion on her face. It was becoming apparent that Shego wasn't going to say anything.

_Well, it would've meant more coming from you, Shego, but ok, I'll do it_, Ron thought.

"What she said was that she loved you. I think you heard her... you're surprised?" Ron asked. _You didn't need to say 'I think you heard her', you idiot! Are you TRYING to screw this up? FOCUS, Stoppable!_

Kim pushed Shego's legs off her lap roughly and stood up. "Okay, what... what THE HELL is going on between you two!"

S_pill it, Ron_, Ron thought, _time for Truth. The Truth shall set you free... wait. Better idea._

"_I_ love you too, y'know" he said.

"That... that's different and you know it. We're -"

"Best Friends for Life, yes. Still, I _do_ love you. And furthermore, I love _her, _too" Ron said.

"Wha-" Shego's panic wasn't subsiding at all with _that_ little remark...

"See? She's surprised. Not because she didn't know, but just because I've never said it before." he let that sink in awhile.

Then he continued, "Yes, it's in yet a different way. Stupid language only has one word for 'love'. It's really amazing that we're able to communicate at all... Anyway, yeah, I love Shego, but not romantically...", he glanced at Shego, seeing the relief as she was finally able to exhale. He smiled at her. She looked at him quizically, like something had occurred to her.

"... and not like what we have, either, Kim. I can't quite put my finger on the right word... but -", Ron was cut off by a single, quiet word from Shego:

"Comrade" she said, looking off into the distance. The word had just popped into her mind from nowhere, and the truth of it was overpowering.

Ron looked back at her, as the word worked into his mind. "Yes. 'Comrade'. That's it." The deeper the word went, the more it meant to him. His eyes began to moisten. _FOCUS, Ron! This isn't about you and Shego!_

Kim was getting more pissed by the second. "'Comrades' in _what_, exactly!", her voice rose in volume with each word. "You... you're SETTING ME UP!".

Ron was at a loss. No help was coming from that secret place inside his brain for this. He was on his own. "Sort of... I mean... Yes", he said. _Truth will set you free, my ass._

"Ever cross your mind that there might be a little PROBLEM with that? Like, she's a GIRL! I'm _so_ sorry to ruin your little teenage male fantasy, Ron, but every time two girls look at each other doesn't mean they're... lesbian or something!" Kim was out for blood.

Ron sighed. "Kim, it's -", but he was cut off.

"I'm _NOT_ gay, Ron! I _DON'T_ like girls! What do I have to do to beat that into your head! Or maybe I _do_ need to beat it into your head, is that it!" Kim was almost screaming. Ron's head hung down.

_I am SO screwing this up_, he thought. _It's because I can't read her. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't really even know whether she likes girls or not! God, why am I even involved in this? This isn't my business. I mean, it's SO not my business! She says she doesn't like girls, but_... and the light dawned. He had been looking for help in the wrong place. When it came, it came not from his mysterious secret source, but from Ron himself, flooding it's way from the back of his mind to the front, a laser-beam of crystalline insight. It came from... from being Best Friends.

Everything fell into place with a _click_. Why he hadn't been able to figure Kim out. Why Kim and Shego fought the way they did. The trading of insults and barbs. Kim's excitement when she knew she was gong to tangle with the Green Fire Girl again. Her near-depression when it was over. Suddenly, he knew, Shego went through exactly the same things. He understood it all. He was such an idiot...

"I believe you, Kim" he said, still looking down.

Kim's breathing slowed, just a little. "What?"

"I believe you. You don't like girls. I've been an idiot" he said. Realizing the effect this was likely to have on Shego, he put his hand out toward her in the universal gesture of HALT, in this case meaning, _Be quiet. Wait._ It was a gesture that probably originated before people developed language. There was no mistaking it.

"You would know by now, if you did... wouldn't you... You're surrounded by the sexiest girls in school every day. In the locker-room, too. Wearing cheerleader outfits that could have only been invented by a man, and a dirty old man – or a horny lesbian – at that. So you would know. And you're not the kind that would... ", he didn't finish. "No, you're not the least bit attracted to girls."

"Well, I'm glad you FINALLY -" she began.

Ron looked up and met Kim's glare with serious, sympathetic eyes, silencing her.

"... but you _are_ attracted to _her."_

He lowered his eyes from her stunned gaze and brushed past her, leaving her facing the kitchen while he went and stood by the front window, looking out into the night.

_Give her a minute. She realizes it's true or she'd be screaming again by now. Give her a minute..._ he thought.

Kim didn't move. Shego could hardly breathe. Eventually, Ron went on:

"Think about it, Kim. What if... what if Shego wasn't a woman... what if she'd been a man. Everything else the same, but she'd been a... guy. How would you feel then?"

Kim turned around to face him. "Well, not like I feel _now_, that's for sure", she replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, but what do you mean? You mean you wouldn't _feel_ like you do now, or do you mean you wouldn't feel so... _uncomfortable_... about what you feel now..." Ron asked.

"Well, yeah, obviously I wouldn't feel 'uncomfortable' about it if she... were...", she trailed off, and thought, _but I would feel exactly the same about her. If she were a him. Oh my god. Oh my god..._

"But... but she... she's not, I mean, she was just _teasing_ me, right? Just trying to embarrass me... Just being mean..." Kim desperately searched for a way to make it... not so.

"Yeah. She does like to embarrass you, doesn't she... but 'to be mean'?" Ron appeared to think for awhile, then said, " Shego, tell her why. Tell her what you feel when she blushes."

Shego was silent. _I can't do this, Ron. I want to... but I can't..._

Sensing what lay behind Shego's hesitation, Ron said, "C'mon, Shego. You've come this far, however unintentionally. Bare it. Tell her how it makes you feel."

"It... it takes my breath away, Kim. It makes me feel... weak in the knees... I know it sounds stupid..." she said slowly, quietly, and obviously with great difficulty.

Let _that_ sink in, Ron thought.

"Y- You mean, all those... times, during the fights... I mean, ALL those times..." Kim fought against the realization, "you... you embarrass me because you _get off_ on the way I..."

"Yeah" Shego said simply, eyes downcast.

Ron continued, "See, for years now, KP, I just haven't... been able to 'get' you. There's always been this _thing_ between you and Shego, but I couldn't figure it out. Oh, how she feels about _you_ has always been plain as day. Shego's been... hot... for you for... I don't know how long. I'm not even sure whether she was trying to hide it. But, I don't think she felt _love_ until recently. In fact, probably not until Lee came along. Because he used that. He used something inside Shego that she didn't even know was there. And the using of it made... brought it to Shego's awareness."

"But you were still a mystery, KP. And it was because... well, because I think you're a very extra-ordinary woman."

"See, Shego – and me – and most others for that matter, are _attracted_ to people first, and _then_ we fall in love with them. But you... I think you're one of the – rare – people who do it the other way around. You fell in love with her first, and _then -_ gradually, I imagine - began to be attracted to her. Am I wrong?"

Kim remained silent.

_Not much longer, Kim. I know it's painful, but we're almost there..._, Ron thought.

"Kim", Ron said quietly, earnestly, "KP, can you tell me when you first fell in love with her?"

After a _long_ moment of silence, Kim said, "I... I guess it was...",

"Hold that thought, Kim. Sorry" he faced Shego. "Shego, when did you first become aware of your attraction to Kim?"

Shego looked at him. To her, this was like being operated on wide awake; open-heart surgery, while she watched. But if you want to get better, you have to tell the doctor everything, don't you...

"First time I saw her. At the White Mountain dojo" she said slowly, quietly, unable to look Kim in the eye.

Ron looked at Kim now, who was staring openly at Shego, and breathing deeply. "Kim, is that what you were going to say?"

She never took her eyes off the other girl's face. Shego looked up at her. Just as they had been the night before, when Kim had first become aware that Shego felt... _something..._, they were locked, emerald eyes gazing straight through each other.

"Yes" Kim whispered.

_Wrap it up, Ron. It's almost time to leave them alone._ "So. You both fell in love at first sight, only in radically different ways. Shego was sexually attracted, you were in love. And you couldn't have told each other before now, because only just recently have you both acquired the other half of the relationship. Shego fell in love with you, and you, Kim, became sexually attracted to her. Independently."

Now Ron shut up. He went back to the window and stared out, literally counting the seconds while Shego and Kim mulled over their thoughts. They kept staring at each other, but weren't really _seeing_ anything at all.

Shego:

_I DO love her. I... ME, I love HER. I LOVE her! I could HANDLE the sex, hell, I've been looking FORWARD... well, fantasizing about, anyway, having sex with her for SO long. But this... I don't know what to do! I HAVE NO IDEA what to do! How does one... I mean, how do you... 'make love'?_

Kim:

_I'm... I'm in love with her. No, that's not what's so... what's bothering me, is it... I'm in LUST with her. I am. I am. I want to... have... sex-with-another-girl. _ Kim sighed deeply._ No, still not right. Sex-with-Shego. I want to touch her. Taste her... Ahhhh gawd..._

"_Sorry, Mom, no grandkids for you, I'm hot for another woman!" Great. Just goddamn freakin' great. Bonnie will be thrilled to freakin' death, when she finds out. And they WILL find out... they always do._

_What am I gonna do?_

Kim and Shego broke their stares off at the same time, Shego finding something fascinating to look at on the entertainment center, and Kim just staring at the floor.

_They need to just take a step back from all this... _Ron was thinking.

Kim let out a deep, loud, exasperated sigh.

"Fine. Just... fuckin' fine. I'm gay. A homosexual... a lesbian... a, uh -"

Ron cut in, "dyke."

"a dyke...", Kim agreed.

"a rug-muncher, a carpet-", Ron continued, only to be met with simultaneous shouts from both girls:

"_RON!", _Shego shouted as she jumped up from the couch and Kim whirled around, looks of total disbelief on their faces.

"Oh, sorry. Got carried away" Ron said, still looking out the window. He tried to suppress his burgeoning smile. _He shoots..._

The two girls looked at each other, _did he just say..._

Kim glared over at Ron standing by the window. Slowly, the glare softened, replaced by perplexion. Then she began to smile.

"'_Rug_-muncher?" Kim asked incredulously.

Kim looked at Ron. Ron looked at Shego. Kim looked at Shego. Shego looked at... Kim's crotch.

Kim began to giggle, and Shego joined her. Soon, laughter filled the tiny apartment.

_... and he scores! Boo-yah!_


	12. Chapter 12: Go Directly to Jail

Kim began to giggle, and Shego joined her. Soon, laughter filled the tiny apartment.

_... and he scores! Boo-yah!_

_KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP_

As the laughter died down, Ron turn toward the door.

"And where are _you_ going, c_omrade_?" Shego asked, catching his intention.

"For a walk. Or, maybe... to get some nacheritos. I dunno. I'll be back in -"

Kim sighed, "You don't need to leave us alone, Ron. What, you thought we'd just... jump on each other's bones, now that everything's out in the open?"

"Well... well, kind of... I mean..." Ron hesitated, "well, _I_ would." _How embarrassing._

"Sounds like a plan to me" Shego said, with her usual "I've-got-something-on-you" grin.

Kim sighed. "Look, Shego... If we're going to be... uh..."

"Can't say it, can you, Pumpkin..."

Kim felt the rush of humiliation and embarrassment that usually accompanied Shego's taunts. She looked at Shego, the light-green skinned girl – woman - with all that jet-black hair, falling down over... And the feeling faded away, replaced by... by something else.

"Can _you_?" Kim gently challenged.

_That_ shut her up.

"Kinda wiped the smile off your face, didn't it..." Kim was teasing Shego for a change. _This could be kind of fun_, Kim was thinking. _I have something on YOU too, y'know. Oh, yeah!_

Ron was watching with amusement. The three of them had resumed their previous positions – Kim, Shego, and Ron on the couch, couch, and recliner, respectively. _Go, KP!_ he was thinking. _Sock it to her!_

Shego looked away, beaten in a verbal test of will. It wasn't a feeling she was used to. But... y'know what? It wasn't so bad, after all. Long as it was Kim. If Ron had beaten her at a spar of words, it would've been different.

"Anyway, you were saying?" Shego attempted to save a _little_ bit of face.

"I was saying: If we're going to - _do_ _this -_, we're going to do it on _my_ terms. At _my_ speed. And I'm not ready to... uh, 'jump on your bones', yet."

Shego's expression underwent a dramatic change. _Excuse me? YOUR terms? Who made YOU Queen-of-the-Nile? _she thought. She was about to say it, too, when Kim said -

"Look, Shego... I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out so... drama. It's just that I need a little more than 15 minutes to deal" she said apologetically. "I _want_ to... I do."_ You have no idea_, Kim thought. "But... I just need some time, is all."

Shego's heart melted. She was speechless. She'd never gone from E_motionally-Charged-Anger_ to _Mellow-Understanding_ in the space of a couple of seconds before. It shook her to think that she even could.

"Yeah, well... I guess that's okay..." Shego kicked herself mentally for being at a loss for words. Then, instinctively using an age-old tactic, she changed the subject.

"Ron, I hate to say this, but I'm _really_ hungry."

Ron looked back at her, but took his time responding. _Let her suffer a little bit. Maybe it'll cool her temper down a little, in the future. _"Right! Bueno Nacho, here -"

Both girls simultaneously: "Oh, no...", "Not again...", "_Please_ not Bueno Nacho...", "Can you not think of _anything_ besides..."

"Awright awright awright. Jeez.", Ron feigned disappointment. "Shego, you're the hungry one... so you pick."

She picked Chinese. Ron picked the movie: _Flight of the Phoenix_, the old version. It was time to just relax.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

After the video was popped in, Shego again stretched out her legs towards Kim at the other end of the couch, pressing her toes into Kim's thigh. But this time she got more than she bargained for, as Kim pulled Shego's legs apart, turned her back, and schootched herself up, reclining her back against Shego's front. Her hair tickled Shego's nose.

Only partially recovered from the... _novelty_, of the situation, Shego managed to say, "Kim, you're hair is -"

"Get used to it" Kim cut her off. But she did slide down a bit, until the back of her head was nestled between Shego's breasts. "Better?"

"Uh... yeah..." was all the older girl managed to get out.

Ron was trying hard not to look. And was having an even harder time trying to keep from smiling too broadly. They watched in silence.

Half way through the movie, Shego said to Ron, "How ironic. You've picked a movie without one single woman in it, ever. Just the thing for our situation. Typical male."

Ron shot back, "It's _art_, you Philistine. We can watch lez-porn later."

Kim giggled.

"You're getting quicker, Ron - I'm proud of you!" Shego smiled, actually impressed.

They all fell asleep before the movie ended.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego woke with a start, panting. She'd been having this delicious wet dream – the first in a long, long, _long_ time – about Kim and her; kissing and fondling and stroking each other... Kim had been looking up at her with an evil grin, and was just about to put her mouth on -

When she woke up. _God DAMN it!_, she thought, still staring at the ceiling, the images fading in her mind. Gradually she became aware of something else – it was hard to breathe. Like there was this _weight_ on her diaphragm, pressing – _oh._ It was Kim's head, of course. _Pumpkin. Pumpkin head_, Shego thought fondly. Kim had slipped farther down on Shego's stomach as she slept, and she had turned on her side as well, her shoulder pressing into Shego's groin. _Well, THAT explains a lot._

Kim made little sleepy noises as the rise and fall of Shego's stomach slowed. The older girl gazed down at her awhile, then laid her head back and resumed staring at the ceiling. It was all just so... _unexpected_. Especially in her not-quite-awake state, the previous two days seemed dream-like. Like it couldn't have possibly happened, and things couldn't have possibly turned out this way, even if it had happened, and now...

_Now... what? Let's recap. I'm wanted by the police and GJ. Satan himself is pissed at me. I'm in love – DEEPLY in love – with my arch-nemesis, and just to top it off, I think I quite like her boy – _she corrected herself –_ her Best Friend. Meanwhile, I've deserted MY best frien –_ her reverie stopped there.

_Was I about to say that Drakken was my "best friend"?_

She lifted her head to look down at Kim asleep on her belly. The red-head was making a drool-pool on Shego's belly-button. She almost wished Kim would have lent her something besides belly-shirts. _Almost_ wished, mind you.

_Well, stranger things have happened..._, she thought, _but not many. And not often. I guess when you have only ONE friend to start with, then he's your "best" by default._

Shego reminisced about "Dr. D", mind-control chips, giant robots, doomsday devices with "self-destruct" buttons on them – _how mad is THAT –_ and Coco-moo. That last one made her smile. _Yeah. Ok. Default "best friend", lower-case._

_I should look him up_, she thought, _see what he's up to. I wonder who he replaced me with... I'm SO out of touch with... with how things used to be. _She struggled against the feeling welling up from her throat, finally giving in with a resigned, _Ok, fine! I miss him. Alright? Leave me alone, Inner Voice..._

Of course, Shego had bigger problems than "missing" Drakken. She _was still_ a criminal. A thief. Wanted by the Law. But that wasn't a biggie... that was just part of her resume'. A long proud resume': a villain's resume'.

_And what are we going to do about THAT, Shego._

Inner silence.

_Well?_

_Give yourself up._

_No... FUCKIN'... way..._

_Alright, go back to Drakken, I'm sure he'll take you back with a substantial cut in salary. Then he can have you go around stealing things and having Master Plans for World Domination foiled by Kim... hey, the two of you can go on fighting, and you'll be able to see each other what, maybe once a week? On a good week? For 5 minutes? That what you want, Plasma-Girl? That your dream-life? Everything back the way it was, before Lee...?_

_Or, no, wait, why, you can get HER to come to YOUR side! Sure! Being a villain has been SOOO good to you, hasn't it, you could share all that FUN with her! Just the two of you, stealing for Drakken, flying off to remote Caribbean islands for a bit of fun... it'd be the LIFE, wouldn't it! Have to leave Ron behind..., oh, and tell Kim to forget about silly things like High School, College, all her friends, her mother, her fuckin' LIFE! Yeah, she'll buy that, I'm SURE you're worth all that to her... Why didn't you think of that before?_

Shego sighed. The sarcastic inner-voice was getting_ so _annoying. _Is this how I make people feel?_, another part of her mind wondered.

_If I turn myself in... even if I can make a deal, I'll be doing time. And I'll have to actually do it, too. God. I can't do time NOW! Not when... things are finally looking UP! I'm WITH her now! I mean, we're a COUPLE... well, sort of. Anyway, we INTEND to be. You know what I mean... And now I have to go off to JAIL! _

_Ah, gawd... Kim – Pumpkin -, what have I done?_

Kim shifted position just a little, enough to grind her shoulder noticeably into Shego's crotch.

Shego sighed. _That may be as close as we get for... who knows how many years, Kim. God, I can't stand it!_

Her mind began to race. Maybe she could get house-arrest. Maybe she could just remain a fugitive, and Kim and Ron could hide her... Maybe they could all go away... to... to... Myanamar. Suriname. Schleichwig-Holstein. SOMEwhere! Maybe Drakken could come up with some kind of permanent, perfect disguise... This went on and on.

Tears began to fall down her cheeks, even as her mind raced with ever more fanciful possibilities. But the feeling wouldn't go away: _you just have to go down there and do it. _

She cried herself back to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13: Jolly Freakin' Ranchers

Tears began to fall down her cheeks, even as her mind raced with ever more fanciful possibilities. But the feeling wouldn't go away: _you just have to go down there and do it. _

She cried herself back to sleep.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

By the time Shego woke up, Kim was in the bathroom and Ron was – as usual, she was beginning to understand – whomping up something to eat. The smell of butter, grease, and spices filled the air, and her stomach began to growl. But as powerful as her hunger was, she did have a greater need, and got up to make her sleepy way to the bathroom.

"Morning, Sunshine" Ron greeted her, flipping a pancake in the air.

"Mumph..." she mumphed.

Ron thought, _I can see THEIR house is going to be a lot of fun in the mornings..._

_Knock knock._ "Kim? Could you get a move on in there? Dire emergency waiting out here!"

"Mmph, shus kussin by eeth, 'mon n" came the reply, and the door opened, revealing Kim Possible looking like what could only be described as a rabid Irish Setter in bathrobe and slippers – and having a bad hair day. It was not the Kim Possible of Shego's dream the night before, to say the least. Kim gave her a big foamy smile, and there was a strange look in her eyes, as if she were laughing inside. Then she tilted her head to the side, "G' head."

Shego thought, _Whoa!... Note to self: never disturb Kim in the bathroom!_

"Uh, could you..." Shego began, but Kim rolled her eyes and grabbed Shego's shirt, pulling her in. Then Kim stepped into the hall, closing the door behind her. All this without ever stopping her tooth-brushing. It was a practiced move - having two little brothers will do that to you. And Kim was used to sharing a bathroom , Shego was not.

Kim leaned on the wall beside the door, still brushing her teeth, while her mind wandered back to her feelings when she'd woke up on Shego's stomach. _SO the drama!_

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim opened her eyes to find herself cheek-to-belly with the other girl. Her left arm was curled under and around Shego's thigh in what would've been a _very_ erotic embrace – if that arm hadn't been completely asleep. Her other arm was up over her head, the hand _under_ Shego's shirt and lightly cupping one of her breasts. _I am NOT "cupping" her breast! She has a bra on!_, Kim thought, a little panicked. Then the events of the previous evening began to slowly catch up to her. _Well, hell, why am I making excuses anyway! I'm... I can... feel her up if I want! Anytime I want, for that matter! Well... you know what I mean... _

But there was another, even more "drama" aspect to their entanglement that dawned upon the red-haired girl as she became aware of her situation: her neck and shoulder were - rather warmly - snuggled _right into_ Shego's groin.

And Kim became aware of a warmth there, on her shoulder. Decidedly warm. Verging on "hot". And... damp...?

Shego had wet herself?

Kim struggled, in acute embarrassment, to disentangle herself from the other girl - but without waking her up - which was no small feat with one arm completely numb. When she was finally standing beside the couch, face beet-red – and thanking _God_ that Ron was in the bathroom – she thought, _Oh my god! I can't believe she PEE'D on me! Oh, ick! _She peered over at her own shoulder, expecting to see a wet spot.

But there was none. It _was_ damp, but not enough to discolor the cloth of her shirt. Then she noticed the fragrance – it had been there all along, she'd just not noticed - and with it, the final embarrassment of the morning... _that's not pee..._ _Oh my... Gawwwwd..._

She turned her head the other way, trying to get her nose away from her own wet shoulder, unexpectedly ashamed. _Oh my... God! I'd just DIE if anyone... this is SO... disgusting..._

_Isn't it?_

If anyone –_ anyone –_ had somehow known of her predicament, it would have been unbearable. But no one did, did they... Ron was in the bathroom. Shego was obviously still deep asleep, and there was no one else there. So no one else saw. No one else knew. No one else ever _would _know. Kim stared at the sleeping Shego. She stared at Shego's crotch - her bed for the night. Shego's smooth belly – her pillow. The twin mounds of Shego's breasts. Shego's peaceful-looking face. _She looks so sweet when she's asleep. So... harmless... kind of exactly the opposite of how she looks when she's awake..._

Then she turned back to her own shoulder, hunched it up to meet her nose, and sniffed. Then she looked back at Shego.

Then she sniffed again, deeper than before.

And again.

And finally, giving in, a _deep_, _long_, inhalation, with her eyes closed, filling her lungs with Shego, as a connoisseur of wine or French truffles might. She held it... as if to let the fragrance permeate her, body and soul... then exhaled slowly, eyes re-opening as she did so. She felt a slight shiver. She thought, _Oh my... God..._, yet again, but with a vastly different attitude.

_You could go down on her. Right here. Right now_, the thoughts came unbidden into her mind, and then added sarcastically, _I don't GUESS she'd mind. Ron might catch you – but so what? It's not like he doesn't know you want to, anyway. You could. You could... you could drink your fill of her, right now... In fact, having Ron catch you might be -_

She shook herself vigorously to end the train of thought. _Gawd! I'm becoming a dirty old man! -"or a horny lesbian: _she thought of what Ron had said before.

Deciding – perhaps regretfully – not to go through with it, she enjoyed another whiff of her shoulder. _Uhmmmmhhh... _But there was something vaguely familiar, too...

Well, that was silly... how could there be? Yet, it lingered in her mind... _Sniff. Sniff. It... it reminds me of... of... _it was on the tip of her mind's tongue... _of... of... _

_Jolly-Ranchers? _

She smiled at the absurdity of the thought, staring again at Shego's crotch. _It does! It Reminds me of peach-flavored Jolly-freakin'-Ranchers! _

She grinned at the sleeping beauty and made her way towards the bathroom, chuckling. _Peach Jolly-Ranchers! Peach-freakin'-Jolly-freakin'-Ranchers! Heeee!_

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

At the breakfast bar, Shego was somber, killing Kim's earlier high-spirits.

"Something the matter, Shego?" Kim finally asked, after the "good morning's" and breakfast small-talk had died off.

"Nothing to concern you, Pumpkin" she said.

Shego was feeling miserable. Knowing what she had to do – turn herself in – and the likely repercussions of that... and for all this to happen _now_, well, it was just depressing beyond words. And it did have to be done _now_, too. It couldn't wait, she might not have the guts to do it later.

Kim was taken aback by the other girl's sarcastic tone. It was like... it was like yesterday, and last night, and this morning... like none of it had ever happened. Shego was her old self: The Ice Queen.

Ron had heard it too. He looked up at Shego while she stared at her food disinterestedly. He reached over and _thwack_ed her on the head, not too hard, but hard enough.

Shego looked him as if he'd gone mad. "Are you _insane_, Stoppable? Do you -" she began.

"We had a deal," he said, looking into her jade-colored eyes, "or have you forgotten..."

Shego backed down. No, she hadn't forgotten. They _did_ have a deal. She turned to look at the now-perplexed Kim.

"Um... Kim, it's just... that I have to do something. By myself. Tie up some loose ends... uh... well, from before. I have... hard... things to do, is all. But I have to do them alone."

Kim stared at her awhile, then turned her attention back to her plate, "Yeah, okay. I guess...", she said unsurely. Ron looked at her, then he too resumed eating.

After a long minute of silence, Kim suddenly slammed her fork down on the table and said, with something approaching disgust, "No. No I _DON'T_ guess it's 'okay'!"

Shego and Ron both looked at her; Shego's face showing extreme emotional distress, Ron just looking expectantly.

"Shego..." Kim went on, "don't you get it? _EVERYTHING_ about you '_concerns_' me! And I don't care if it's something that happened 'before' or 'after'... I don't care if it's your family or your boss or... or... or whatever! _THERE IS NOTHING YOU HAVE TO DO ALONE_! Not now! Not... not if there's ANY WAY I can help. Even if it's... just being there!"

Kim looked down, mentally exhausted by her own outburst, and caught her breath. Ron was eyeing Shego, and Shego seemed to be trying to look into the interior of her glass of milk.

Calmer now, Kim looked back over at Shego, watching her face in profile, "What is it you have to do, Shego?"

_I can't tell her!_, Shego thought, _this is between me and the GJ. I HAVE to do this alone! God, Pumpkin, I don't WANT to... but I HAVE to! For us!_ The pain in her heart was as cold as dry ice. _I have to do this myself!_

_Why is that, Shego?_ her Inner Voice spoke up again.

Shego winced. The Inner Voice was never a good sign. She was learning that it had a tendency to tell her things about herself that she didn't want to know.

_Yeah, I do, don't I... Like that you're an arrogant cowardly bitch. _

_If you told her, what do you think she'd do? Beg you not to? You think she's too stupid to figure out that you can't remain a fugitive and be with her at the same time? Think you're the only one who's figured it out? How about Ron? He seems to be pretty on the ball, despite what YOU used to think of him. Think he doesn't know what you have to do?_

_They're only trying to HELP, you moron. But noooo, you'd rather wallow in self-pity, you'd rather break your own heart than have someone do something FOR your sake. You're punishing yourself, because you think you deserve it, Shego. Because you think you know better than they do._

Suddenly, the Inner Voice took on a different tone: _So, you're WITH Kim, now, huh? And WHO, Shego, do you have to thank for that? Do THAT by yourself, did ya?_

_Ron_, she answered herself, after a pause. _I have Ron to thank for that..._

She looked up, not at Kim, but at Ron.

"I have to turn myself in" she said, looking into his eyes. He only nodded. Then she looked back at Kim, who was still awaiting an answer.

"I... I just thought..." Shego sighed heavily. _You can do this, just look at her. Eyes on the Prize, Shego..._

"Would you come with me?"


	14. Chapter 14: Way to Out Me

"I... I just thought..." Shego sighed heavily. _You can do this, just look at her. Eyes on the Prize, Shego..._

"Would you come with me?"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim called Doctor Director. Ron had a chat with her, too. An appointment was made. But no "deal" was ever discussed. One didn't do that with The Director over the phone. Actually, one was on shaky ground even thinking of "dealing" with the Director - at all, ever.

Shego listened to the phone conversations, mildly in awe of what was being done by Kim and Ron for her sake. It was something new to her. It was something she would never forget. By the time it was done, it was after 11 a.m. Ron's thoughts (and Shego's too, for she was still a scarecrow version of her former self) turned to food.

But a question still nagged the back of Shego's brain.

"Uh, Ron... Kim... shouldn't we be kind of worried about Lee? I mean, I imagine he's pissed. Isn't that a problem?" she asked in earnest. She still feared Lee, after all, she'd _talked_ to him, they hadn't.

Ron took his accustomed seat in the recliner, turning to look at her in _her_ accustomed place on the couch. And Kim, of course, assumed her place, not on the other end of the couch this time, but just beyond Shego's curled-up legs.

"I don't think so. I'll tell you why. You're worried that he'll want 'revenge', 'retribution'... because you're thinking of Lee as a man. But he's not, see? I have the..." Ron collected his thoughts, "_feeling_... that - since you're no longer of _use_ to Lee - you're 'off his radar', so to speak. I don't think he cares about you, what you've done, or what you're up to any more."

He went on, "I don't think he cares about _individuals_ at all, ever, except as a conduit to... to bigger and badder things. And if you are no longer acting as that conduit, then he'll pay no attention to you. But there is a new factor now. _We_ know – or can at least guess – at some of the things he's up to, based on your missions. It may be... _may be_... that we can prevent some of those things from happening. I've been working on a, uh, 'matrix', is what Wade calls it, trying to categorize your missions according to several factors. Frankly, I suck at it. But Wade says he needs a starting point to go from. The better the starting point, the clearer picture we'll get, so it's kind of important..."

Ron picked up his notebook full of ripped-out pages, and took them to the table, spreading them out carefully.

"Come see" he said, not looking up.

Ron's "work" was a hodge-podge of different kinds of organizational drawings: there were flow-charts, org-charts, tables, and other kinds of diagrams that probably don't even have a formal name. He let them stare for awhile, going around to the kitchen to get a glass of grapefruit-juice. _Yeah, yeah, I know... probably looks to them like the work of a deranged lunatic... is that redundant?... I'm just not good at logical pattern-recognition! _But he knew who was, and he wished to _hell_...

Right on cue, the front door slammed open, revealing the back and blonde head of Josh Mankey, who was trying to do his best Jack Nicholson while fighting with four pieces of luggage. The luggage appeared to be winning.

"Honey? I'm home!" he yelled.

"Saw your car outside, I'm _so_ glad you're here! _Gawd_ I missed you!" he was saying, still backing in the doorway, "I just _hate_ family reunions! If I hear _one_ more person telling me how tall I was the last time they saw me" he finally turned around, "I'll just... explo... shit..."

Everyone's mouth hung open (except Ron's – he was looking up at the ceiling and shaking his head, smirking to himself). There was a short moment of silence during which the very air seemed to frozen into place.

"Hey, Josh" Ron finally said from the kitchen as he walked over to the paralyzed blonde boy and began unloading bags from the his shoulders. "I missed you too." He pecked the other boy on the cheek. "Way to 'out' me, Josh."

Moving only his eyes, Josh looked into Ron's face. "Oh, gawd... I'm so..."

"It's okay, Josh, it's okay," he said, removing the last of the bags strapped across Josh's back. Ron smiled faintly at him, "Really, it's okay. But if you could just wait outside for a minute – I, uh, I think I've got some 'splainin' to do..."

"Ron, I -" Josh began to protest, but Ron already had his arms around Josh's shoulders and was turning him back around, to lead him out the door, as if he were an octogenarian.

"There ya go, Josh... just for a minute, okay? It'll be fine. You'll see..."

Quietly closing the door behind the still stupified Josh, Ron turned back to the girls. Their mouths _still_ hung open, their emerald eyes _still_ wide, staring at him as if he were some kind of fascinating sea creature. Ron smiled faintly with a look of _well, weren't ready for THIS, now were we?_ and just stared back.

Shego was the first to come to her senses. She blinked, and finally closed her mouth. She looked at Kim, and then back to Ron. Slowly, her mouth assumed her trademark smirk.

"Well!" she said, "_I_ think he's just cute as a bug!" She got up and took a few steps to face Ron, "And I guess I'll just have to introduce myself, if you aren't going to." Then she pecked Ron on the cheek and whispered into his ear, "_Way_ to _go_, _Ron..._ _Way to GO!_" She slapped him on the butt as she passed by him, heading towards the front door, giggling all the way.

Which left Kim and Ron, quietly standing there, facing each other. Kim was still speechless.

As Ron waited, it became apparent that she was going to _stay_ speechless.

Ron sighed heavily.

"About two weeks" he offered, anticipating her unspoken question.

Nothing.

"No, actually, I'm bi. But, yes, we are, and yes, we have."

Still nothing.

He sighed again. "So there I was, pretty bummed out about the way _our_ relationship was going. And I meet Josh at Smarty-Mart, while I'm just wandering around trying to find something to take my mind off you. Well, he's had some experience in that area, too, y'know... and we started talking, then we went to Bueno Nacho... then we saw a movie... and y'know, and y'know and y'know."

Kim blinked, but that was all.

"Look, KP, are you going to say anything or not?" Ron asked, getting frustrated.

Ever so slowly, Kim's mouth closed. Then opened, then closed again. Then she seemed to think of something, finally -

"Oh my god..." she said, a look of... of _concern_ taking over her face, "I turned you gay!"

_What?_ was all Ron could think.

"I turned you gay! Oh My God! Oh, Ron... I'm so SORRY!" Kim went on.

Ron couldn't believe his ears. _Turned me gay? Is she serious?_ Through self-discipline that could only be called masterful, Ron refrained from laughing out loud.

"God, Ron, I'm... maybe it's not too late – my Mom's a doctor, maybe she could help..."

_Help?_

"Maybe there's some pills she can give you -"

_Pills!_ That was the last straw. Ron burst out laughing so hard that the walls of the little apartment fairly shook. He laughed all the air out of his lungs, until all he could do was wheeze, wheeze, wheeze, but still he couldn't stop. Curled up in the fetal position on the kitchen floor, he fought for small gulps of air between the convulsions.

And Kim was still going on, absolutely in earnest, "... or maybe a shot or something..."

He wanted to say "Stop! Please stop! It hurts! Oh god, let me breathe!" but couldn't, of course. _A shot?_ - and it started all over again. He actually did pee in his pants. His diaphragm cramped and spasmed, yet he still couldn't stop, because he kept thinking: _Help? Pills? A shot?_ And that _look_ on her face, so _earnest_, so _concerned_... it was all just too much!

There comes a point, when is in the throes of laughter like that, that it stops being so funny because one is in so much pain. Ron's mind could step back and see what was happening to him, see how repeating those words in his mind was setting him off, see how the image of Kim's concerned eyes was setting him off, and wish it could stop. Just long enough to get a breath. To relieve the pain in his gut. But he just couldn't stop it from happening. Her words and image just kept playing back to him over and over and over, as he watched and listened and felt his body shake helplessly.

Then he felt another sensation, however momentary, take the place of the pain.

Josh had come back in with Shego, and he was spraying cold water on his curled up body from the kitchen faucet. "Shego! See if there's anything cold in the fridge and pour it on him!" Josh ordered, "and _get her out of here!" _he added as an afterthought.

Shego dumped a pitcher of ice-water onto Ron's pain-filled face. The coldness of it caused him to reflexively gasp for air, and he was grateful. But then he'd look at Kim and think, _Pills?_ again, and start the cycle over. Shego grabbed her and led her - against the Kim's vigorous protests - to the bedroom.

Josh meanwhile helped Ron get to his feet, and to the couch, where Ron only doubled over again, holding his stomach, wheezing. "Ron! Ron! Listen to me!" he tried to break through. He slapped Ron in the face hard, and then at least the helpless boy was able to look him in the eye. "Ron! Concentrate on breathing! Just breathing! Nothing else!"

Ron stared into Josh's eyes, but he wasn't really seeing anything. He concentrated on Josh's voice, just his voice, telling him to breathe, breathe, breathe. As he became able to gasp for air regularly, the tenor of Josh's voice calmed, "Just breathe, just breathe, only breathe..." Ron clung to that voice for dear life.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Quietly closing the door behind her, Shego turned to face the new mystery-man. She held out her hand.

"I'm Shego. Kim's... girlfriend. And you are?" she asked, hardly able to stop giggling.

"Uh, Josh. Josh Mankey. Ron's... boyfriend" he said uncertainly.

"Nice to meet you. Quite a surprise too, I have to say. He never even _hinted_ that -"

"Uh, 'Shego'? The green, plasma-throwing evil villianess? _That_ 'Shego'?" he asked, just realizing where he'd seen her before.

"Well... yeah", Shego replied, unsure how to label herself now, "But... well, I guess you have a lot of catching up to do. Uh, when I said I was Kim's 'girlfriend', I meant _'girlfriend' -_ wink wink, nudge nudge. Get it?"

The blonde boy regarded her for a minute.

"So... not evil?" he asked.

"Well... I'm getting better!" she grinned.

He considered that for a minute, also smiling. "Hey, could you do your... thing?" he held a hand up in front of him and waggled it, probably thinking it would represent a flame.

"What?"

"You know, your plasma thing. I've heard about it, but I've never seen it."

"You... you _want_ to see me light up?" No one had ever _asked_ her to do it before, as a trick. She didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted. And frankly, she wasn't even sure it would work. Since that night in the parking lot, she'd been trying to forget about it. She held up a hand.

_Whomph!_, it lit into green plasma, flickering and wavering and shimmering the same jade color as her eyes. _Hey! It's back!_

Josh stared at it awhile, moving his head in close to get a better view. It stunned Shego that he didn't seem to be afraid of it. _Everyone_ was afraid of it...

"Coooool" he said simply.

_Cool? Cool?_ Shego thought. _Deadly. Fearsome. Terrifying. But "cool"?_ She turned it off with a _wuff_. "Well, glad you like it" she said, unsure how she felt about displaying her power on demand, and for show.

"So. Kim's _girlfriend_, eh? How -" but he was cut off by an incredibly loud - considering he was hearing it through the apartment walls – _BWAHAHAHAHAH.._.

They looked at the door and then looked at each other. "We'd better check it out" he said.

"After you" Shego replied. _Cool. Damn... _As she followed him through the door, she thought again, _Way to GO, Ron!_

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Shego, Shego let me go! I have to help Ron! Shego!" Kim was fighting against Shego's leading her onto the bed. Not fighting as in _fighting_, because the teenage girl was too much in shock for that. All she could think was that she'd somehow messed up Ron, and maybe she could make it better. Because it _had_ to be her fault, didn't it? The idea that Ron might have a social life outside of her shook her very reality... she had just _assumed_, for as long as she could remember, that Ron was... was... he was like an _appendage_, like her arm or leg. _Part_ of her.

It was inconceivable that Ron had a life of his own, outside what she knew about him. So it MUST be her that turned him gay! It was the only explanation!

"Kim... Stop... Kim! KIM!" Shego tried to break into the other girl's consciousness. She raised her hand to slap some sense into her, "KIM! LISTEN TO ME!" but it was no use. _Slap!_ Still no use. _Slap!_ again. But Kim was out of her mind, and just kept babbling, not even noticing the abuse.

Shego thought, _Oh, Pumpkin... don't make me do this. Not to you..._ But there was no getting around it. Holding Kim down with one hand, she placed her other palm on her forehead, and – ever so gently, lightly, like a flashbulb – lit up.

Kim's body fell back on the bed, unconscious.

_I'm sorry, Pumpkin. It'll just be for a few minutes._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Ron was breathing almost normally when Shego came back into the living room. He was staring straight ahead, one arm out in front, as if warding off something, the other cradling his still-painful stomach. Josh had his arm around Ron's shoulders and was whispering to him, "Just breathe... just breathe... just breathe..." over and over. It was a tender scene, and Shego felt the _awwww_ feeling, and not sarcastically.

_A hell of a lot more tender than what I just did to Kim_ she thought, a little envious of what the two boys seemed to have together. She sighed, and went to mop up the mess in the kitchen.

From time to time, Ron would begin to chuckle again, just a little, and Josh would repeat his words just a little louder, until Ron calmed back down.

Shego's stomach growled, and she had a brilliant idea. She went over to Josh and whispered into his ear, so as not to disturb what he was doing to Ron. She whispered two words, and Josh turned to look at her, smiling. _Of course!_

The two words were, "Bueno Nacho".


	15. Chapter 15: Don't Call Me Pumpkin

Shego's stomach growled, and she had a brilliant idea. She went over to Josh and whispered into his ear, so as not to disturb what he was doing to Ron. She whispered two words, and Josh turned to look at her, smiling. _Of course!_

The two words were, "Bueno Nacho".

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

After putting in her order with the boys (four burritos and two nachoritos for her, half that for Kim), Shego went back to the bedroom with dread in her heart. _I shouldn't have done that. I should've handled that different. I just did the easiest thing for me... Ron would've handled it differently. You owe me a whack, Ron._

Kim had obviously woken up, and was laying on her back with a pillow covering her face.

"Sorry I had to do that Pumpkin. Really, I am."

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you did. Now if you could just leave me alone to die..." Kim sighed heavily.

Shego sat on the edge of the bed, unsure what to do now. "Well, the guys have just gone off to Bueno Nacho on a lunch run. So it's just you and me here, for awhile." Shego looked at the pillow, "Uh, Kim... I just want to say thanks for what you did talking to Dr. -"

"_GAWD!_ I made _SUCH_ a fool of myself! I mean..." Kim sighed, "I'm never leaving this room. Ever. You can bring me food and water, come visit... but I'm going to live here for the rest of my life."

"C'mon, Pumpkin, you'll get over it. Hey, _I_ was kind of shocked too, y'know. Who knew? I have to admit though, his boyfriend is _awfully_ cute" Shego tried to ease the situation. "So, you remember everything? I figured you might just kind of blank it out..."

"Yeah, I remember. Everything. Ron almost passed out laughing at me. _AT_ me, Shego! Not 'with me'... ' Next time he sees me, he'll probably crack up again just thinking about it. Ah, gawd..."

Shego thought about that for a minute. She hadn't heard everything that Kim had said to Ron, like what started him off laughing so hard, but she'd heard enough of her babble to get the idea. And remembering, she couldn't help but smile.

"Well, can't really blame him, Pumpkin..." she said.

Kim sat up on the bed abruptly, pulling the pillow off her head.

"Well! _Thank_ you, Shego! Thank you for making me feel _SO_ much better! That's just what I needed to hear!" She flopped back down, putting the pillow back into position over her face. "You can go now. And stop calling me 'Pumpkin'!"

That hurt.

In fact, Shego wouldn't have believed - until that very moment - just how much it hurt. She wouldn't have believed that a single remark from Kim _could_ hurt that much. _Not call you 'Pumpkin'?_ It was such a little thing, but Shego just couldn't imagine how to _not_ think of the other girl as "Pumpkin'. She had easily dropped the "Princess", and somewhat less easily "Kimmie"... but... to not ever call her "Pumpkin"? That... that would change everything...

"Just go," Kim repeated, "please."

"Kim, I -" Shego began.

"No. Just go away. I just can't deal with you right now" Kim cut her off.

Shego felt something like shock, as if the bottom had dropped out of herself. _'deal with' me? You can't 'deal with' me? Am I so awful you have to 'deal' with it?_ But she was already getting up off the bed, unable to think what else to do. She took a step, then stopped. _That's two you owe me, Ron._

_And if I walk out of here, three._

"Alright, look, Pum-, uh, Kim. I'm sorry, okay?", _Oh, good apology, Shego. Three, Ron. _"I mean... I'm sorry. I'm really sorry I said that. I wasn't thinking, and I shot off a smart remark out of habit... you know me..."

"Better than I want to right now" Kim said bitterly.

"Yeah. Well..." Shego paused, "Kim, it's not easy for me, either, all of this... I mean, I'm not used to even having _friends_, let alone... well, you. It's all new to me. I don't know how to act. And frankly, I don't know what you all seem to see in me! I mean, _I_ wouldn't be friendly with me! But you... and Ron was... even this guy Josh, whom I barely even know, seems to..." she sighed, "And I just don't get it!" She paused, trying to get her bearings. She was talking off her head (or perhaps from her heart) and couldn't really remember where he was going with it.

Kim also sighed. There was a long moment of silence between them; Kim in bed with her face covered, Shego standing, looking at her, trying to figure out this new feeling she was experiencing.

_Vulnerable. But not like with Lee. This is different. And it's not just to her, either..._

Finally, Kim spoke up. "I used to date him, y'know."

"Uh... you used to date Ron's _boyfriend_?" On a completely different track, now, and Shego was astounded.

"Yeah. I know. Seems like I turn everyone gay. We'd better keep an eye on Wade and Monique," Kim said from under her pillow.

"Who are 'Wade' and 'Monique'?"

"Friends of mine. You don't know 'em. Yet" Kim replied. She removed the pillow to find the other girl looking down at her with stark concern on her face. "I was _kidding_, Shego."

Shego smiled. Kim smiled back.

"Ok, you can call me 'Pumpkin' again."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"FOOD!" Ron yelled, setting the bags down on the counter.

"DRINK!" Josh did likewise.

Shego strolled in from the bedroom. Kim had just been telling her all about Wade and the Kimmunicator. _("KIM-municator? You've got to be kidding!")_ She was ravenous, and began tearing the bags open like a hyena, looking for the burritos.

"Don't get in her way, Josh. Could cost you an arm" Ron joked.

Kim appeared in the hallway opening, blushing and hiding her eyes with her hand. "Ron... I'm _SO_ embarrassed... Hi, Josh..."

Josh looked at her, and then at Ron, and decided to keep his mouth shut.

Ron felt a giggle start in his throat, and closed his eyes, willing the image of Kim's face away. Everyone was staring at him, even Shego, though she didn't stop stuffing burrito into her mouth. Finally he was able to say, "Let's just forget about it now, alright, KP? Don't remind me... my stomach muscles are too sore."

Josh looked at Shego and said "Uh, Shego? You're not supposed to eat the paper..." It was true, she was chomping down on her burrito faster than she could unwrap it. She narrowed her eyes at him as a mock warning. Then she glanced over at Ron.

"Wan, loo owe mu fwee 'acks" she said with her mouth full.

Ron looked at her questioningly. "How hard?"

"'ard" she replied.

"You're getting better at this, Shego" he said walking towards her, nachorito in hand. "At least you know when you're doing it now." He smacked her on the back of the head three times.

"'arder" she said. Hair flew.

"Uh... what exactly's going on here?" Kim asked, speaking for Josh too, by the look on his face.

"We have a deal, Shego and I. I'm supposed to smack her on the head every time she... well, acts like a jerk" Ron said.

Kim looked at Shego, who was attempting to swallow the last mouthful of her food. "We may have to think about getting you a helmet."

"Kim!" Shego cried. Everyone was looking at Kim now.

Ron raised a single eyebrow. "If you start turning green and throwing fireballs, KP, I'm going to look for a new best friend." He chuckled.

As did they all.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Arriving at the GJ headquarters for their appointment with Dr. Director, Kim led the others to the door of the Ladies restroom in the lobby. "Guys, watch the door. Shego, come with." She said seriously. Shego followed her in as Ron and Josh assumed guardian positions on either side of the door.

For Shego, this was about the most somber occasion she could even imagine. She was going to be put in jail. Taken away from... from everything, _everyone_ that had happened to her in the space of the last three days. She knew it had to be done, but that didn't make it any easier. Or less depressing.

Kim did a quick sweep of the stalls, then turned to face the older girl.

"Shego, listen. Dr. Director isn't... she isn't... like other people. Especially in this situation, where you're going in to try and 'make a deal' with her. It just isn't done. And I really don't know quite what to tell you..."

"You don't need to tell me how to act, Pumpkin. I'll be good" Shego stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"It's not about 'being good'. That's what I'm trying to say. You have to be _honest_, you have to tell her _everything_ she wants to know, and not hold anything back. Because she can tell, and it pisses her off. Do _not_ put on an act. Just... oh..." Kim paused, unable to find the right words. "She'll push your buttons just to see how you react, Shego."

"She doesn't know my buttons" Shego replied, as if that was all there was to say about it.

"Then she'll _FIND_ them, Shego! And she'll find them faster than you can imagine. I've seen people go into her office thinking they knew all the answers, and come out feeling like complete idiots. She does that. Don't try to be clever. Don't even _think_ you're going to out-smart her. You won't. Take your time thinking about everything you say to her."

"You scared of her, Pumpkin?"

Kim looked intently into Shego's eyes. "YES! YES I AM!" Then, thinking about it, she added, "You will be, too, trust me. I can't explain why... but I think you'll understand before long. And now... the way things are... this time..." Kim closed her eyes. _This time my whole life is at stake. Because she can take you away. Probably will. And all I can do is hope. _

"You don't have to tell me to be careful. I'm the one facing time, y'know. Ok, Kim, I'll -"

Kim interrupted her savagely, "And what am I supposed to do while you're doing 'time', Shego! File my nails and watch MTV! Go on missions, finish High School, come to visit every other Wednesday? MY life is at stake here, too, Shego! I... I can't..." she trailed off, still unable to bare herself that completely.

_Neither can I, Pumpkin. Why is it that things always have to get worse before they get better? Does there always have to be a price?_ Shego thought.

Shego stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around Kim in a gentle hug, inhaling the fragrance of her hair. She felt Kim start to cry silently, and pulled her head back to look into the red-head's eyes. Kim looked up into hers, tears falling down her cheeks. Then Kim swallowed, and to Shego's surprise, it was Kim who closed the distance between their lips.

It wasn't greedy, it wasn't sexy, it wasn't long, and there was no tongue. Each girl just let her lips be parted by the other's, and it was a simple experience of _sharin__g_ and of warmth, of need and exposure. When they broke off, there was nothing more that needed saying. So they both dried their eyes, and left, without a word.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP


	16. Chapter 16: Meeting the Director

It wasn't greedy, it wasn't sexy, it wasn't long, and there was no tongue. Each girl just let her lips be parted by the other's, and it was a simple experience of _sharin__g_ and of warmth, of need and exposure. When they broke off, there was nothing more that needed saying. So they both dried their eyes, and left, without a word.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Mr. Stoppable? You may go in now" the secretary said curtly.

Ron broke out of his Zen-like trance and blinked. His mind was as clear as it was going to get, but he still dreaded one-on-one interviews with the Director.

When he came back out, forty-five minutes later, he was visibly pale and breathing hard. He resumed his previous seat next to Josh, who looked at him compassionately.

"Kim, you're next." Ron was barely able to say it loud enough to be heard.

Kim had also been trying to calm herself, her thoughts focused on images of Panda-Roo, her stuffed animal of a security-blanket. It was juvenile, she knew, but juvenile or not, it helped. Panda-Roo had always had - maybe always would have - an unchanging, secure, safe place in her consciousness. She didn't need its actual presence anymore, memories would do. She took a deep breath and went in.

After an hour, she came out. She had obviously been crying, and was still sniffling, her eyes still reddened. Once the door closed behind her, she blinked, as if remembering where she was, and said, "Josh... your turn."

"Me? But... but I'm just here for moral support... I don't have anything to do with -" his protest was cut off.

"I'm sorry, Josh" Ron said, unable to look the other boy in the eye, "I had to tell her about us. And she doesn't even care about... about _that_, but if something affects you, it affects me, and she had to know." Ron paused for a moment. "I told her everything I know about you. I told her you liked chess, Josh."

Josh blinked. His obsession with chess was his most closely-guarded secret. He had never told anyone about it, except Ron. He didn't want to be a chess-freak, and he knew that if he ever were to play in public, it would get out. Josh had never played _anyone_ a game of chess, except for Ron, and Ron was easily beat, even when Josh would handicap himself by starting the game with only a few pieces on the board, and all pawns, at that. Oddly enough, they both still enjoyed the games.

But Josh wasn't just "good", at chess. He was a savant. He could spot mistakes in the games of Grand-Masters, _champion_ Grand-Masters. He had a whole library of chess-books hidden away, and amused himself by seeing how many moves he could have saved each opponent in historical matches. But he had no interest in competition, and even less notoriety. It was a private thing. He didn't really understand why he felt that way, but he did.

Ron looked him in the eye, finally. "Go on. Don't try to hide anything. She's not mean... she's just... observant."

Josh swallowed and got up. Before turning the doorknob, he looked over at Ron again, but he was staring at the floor.

Shego thought, _Saving the best for last. This is just cruel. I hate the bitch already._

An hour later, the office door opened and Josh came back out. He stared at each of them in turn, even the secretary, looking as if he'd never seen a human being before. Then he closed the door, and took his seat next to Ron. "Okay, Shego. And... Shego? Good luck."

_About fuckin' time_, was all Shego thought. Only Ron was watching as she got up and went to the door. After turning the knob, but before opening it, she looked back around at Kim, but Kim was looking away, holding her breath.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Have a seat, Ms. Go" the Director said, getting up from her chair. She turned to look out the window behind her desk as Shego did so.

Before she was even seated, the Director said "Let's not start off with any misconceptions: _I don't like you_, Ms. Go. You have cost me and my organization a great deal of time and money, and we have nothing to show for it." Dr. Director turned around to face her. "Until now. So. Tell me, Ms. Go, what is it you want?"

"I want to make a deal" Shego said simply, trying to act non-plussed.

"Oh, do you... and here I thought you were selling magazine subscriptions" the Director's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Try again, Ms. Go, and consider your answer carefully, this time."

"I... I want..." Shego kicked herself for stammering, "... to minimize the -"

"You're involved in a relationship with Kim Possible, is that right? A _homosexual_ relationship?" the Director cut her off abruptly.

Shego was stunned a moment before answering. "Yes" she finally said. She was about to say, _What's that got to do with anything?_ but before she got the chance, the Director was speaking again.

"So would it be _accurate_ to say that what you _want_ is to continue to develop that relationship? Would it be fair to say, 'you _want_ to be with her'?"

Stunned again, Shego could only swallow. "Yes."

"Well, that wasn't so far to go, now was it? I expect you to be more forthcoming with your answers from here on out, Ms. Go."

Shego heard herself say, "Yes, ma'am."

The Dr. continued, "Let me tell you what _I_ want. _I_ want to see you locked up for a long, long time. In fact, I have commissioned a study to see just how that could be done, and at what expense. _That_ is what _I_ want. I'm telling you this so we won't have any confusion, later on. Do you understand, Ms. Go?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now. We have established _why_ you've come here. Let me ask another question: why _now_? I am led to believe this relationship has existed for some time, has it not?"

"Yes... no... not like..." Shego had to stop. She had to collect her thoughts. Her first thought was, _That's none of your goddamn business! Just ship me off to prison and be done with it!_ but then she remembered Kim's words – _don't try to be clever. She'll push your buttons to see how you react_.

_Think before you answer._

Eventually, Shego said, carefully, "My life has changed. I have friends now. I'm in love. I don't want things to continue like they have been for me. I'm tired of it." _Dammit! I shouldn't have said 'I'm tired of it', she'll use that to -_

"_Tired_ of it? You're _TIRED_ of being a villian? Well, by all means, if you're _tired of it_, you should just stop, go home, and enjoy the remainder of your life! Really, Ms. Go, do -"

Now it was Shego's turn to cut-off Dr. Director, "I will be more careful with my language, in the future. Ma'am."

_She learns fast_, thought the Director.

"I hope so" the Director said icily. She turned around to look out her window again. "Tell me about your career, Ms. Go. An overview, if you would."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

It was a strange monologue. Shego knew that every word she spoke could be picked apart by the Director at will, any inconsistency spotted, any falsehoods revealed. So she tried her best to report on the last four years of her life – her villianess life – in as unbiased a manner as she could. It was exhausting. Dr. Director did catch her up a few times, pointing out effects she hadn't considered, finding connections she'd missed. The intellect of the woman was staggering.

Going through the Lee missions was especially hard. The Director never said a word, but Shego knew she was listening, and felt ashamed, because she knew the Director was probably putting the pieces together in exactly the ways she herself was afraid to think about.

When she was done, she stood up from her chair, legs stiff. The Director seemed to be admiring a painting in her office.

"You have a great deal of debt to pay" the Director said.

"Yes, ma'am."

Dr. Director turned around sharply. "Then start paying it." She pushed a pad of Post-It's toward the young woman. "We'll start with money, then move on to other assets. Bank name, country, account numbers, approximate amount in each." She set a pen down beside the pad.

Shego looked at the blank yellow pads and sighed. She sat down again, and picked up the pen. She started writing:

Banque Centrale du Luxembourg, Luxembourg, 34454669-34, 2.5M.

Commercial Federal Bank, Cleveland, OH, U.S.A., 99845222, .5M

_That's one foreign, and the domestic account. I could just give her those. She has no way of knowing... I need the rest of it! I EARNED it! Maybe illegally, but I never actually killed anybody..._ The images from her dreams suddenly appeared in her mind. No, she hadn't actually killed them herself, but... if it weren't for her, they wouldn't be dead. Was that the same thing? If she hadn't done those things, Lee would have just found someone else to do them. But, finally, that didn't matter.

_If it weren't for me, they wouldn't be dead_, she thought again. The images... the images that Ron had saved her from... and Kim, by sleeping next to her in the tiny twin bed...

Shego stared at the piece of paper she'd written the two accounts on, the presence of Dr. Director forgotten for the time being.

_Give it all up, Shego. Everything. Walk out of here with only the clothes on your back – and even they're borrowed. Walk out of here, walk into prison... but walk out of here..._

_Clean._

The Director was watching her closely. Shego had been staring at the yellow paper for close to five minutes, without moving. _C'mon, Shego_, the Director thought_, do it. Go the whole way. Renounce it all..._

Suddenly, as if waking up, Shego ripped off the top sheet, and began writing again:

UBS, Switzerland, 4454877-334, 230M

TDT Bank, Northern Mariana, 58b677-4, 75M

She tore off another sheet:

Banco Terazzata, Brazil, 3397530-334, 22M

Bermuda Commercial Bank, Bermuda, 23845h44, 6M

And still another sheaf from the pad.

Finally, she had six sticky-notes arranged in a square on Dr. Director's desk. But still she wasn't done.

Something had hold on Shego, some kind of overwhelming urge, or desire, or perhaps just wish. The wish to be _clean_, to throw it _all_ away and start over. She wrote down the address of her secret apartment, where she kept things that actually meant something special to her. The locations of real estate she owned. Jewelry. Antique furniture. _Extremely_ rare wine. The leasing agreement for her LearJet, the title for her Lotus, everything she could _think of_, whether it had any real value or not.

Dr. Director's desk was littered with little yellow sheets of paper. Shego sat back again, and closed her eyes. _Take it. Take it all. I have what I need. And you can't keep her away from me, even in prison._

She opened her eyes to find the Director calmly sitting opposite her, as if they'd just shared a cup of tea. She seemed amused.

"Please wait outside, Ms. Go. I have some thinking to do" she said.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Shego!" Kim was already out of her chair, having jumped up when she heard the knob begin to turn. "What happened? You've been in there for _hours_! What'd she say? Are you going to..."

"We're to wait awhile longer, Pumpkin" she said tiredly. "She's thinking."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Ms. Go, Kim, gentlemen. I have made my decision" Dr. Director turned to face Shego directly. "You can thank your compatriots here - you shall not go to prison." A sigh of relief went around the room.

"Instead, you shall work off your rather _massive_ debt to society... by working for us."

"Wha-" Shego began, then stopped herself. One didn't say "what?" to the Director if you had heard her the first time.

"You shall be paid at the G-3 level. Come in tomorrow to sign the papers." She seemed to consider her next words carefully, "Should you chose to refuse this... parole, then prison is still an option. And should you refuse that, too, then _our_ relationship will stand as it has for the last few years. What do you chose, Ms. Go?"

"I... the GJ? I mean..." Shego was still struggling with the ramifications, "... Yes. Ma'am. I'll work for you."

"Good." The Director turned to the rest of the group. "I have taken all your testimony into account, and that, among other things, is what has led me to this conclusion. But be warned, if Shego returns to her old ways, it is not _your_ asses on the line. It is mine. I will not be forgiving again."

Having had a little time to think, Shego asked the Director, "But I thought you wanted me locked away?"

"I still do, Ms. Go. That's the difference between you and me. _I_ do not base my actions on what _I_ want. I base them on what's best for everybody. Not you, not me. Everybody. And you will be of far greater value to my organization as part _of_ it, rather than whiling away the days in prison."

"Go down to see Elle", The Dr. told her, then to Kim, " - down in the lab section, next to D, the armorer", then back to Shego, " - to get outfitted. Doubtless Elle will still be there, even at this hour."

Kim couldn't contain herself any longer, and threw her arms around Shego in a bear-hug, squeezing the breath out of her. "Shego!"

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for my dinner. Mr. Dr. Director is going to skin me alive", the Director said.

The four of them watched her walk away, their mouths hanging open, wondering _who_ in _hell_ could _ever_ skin _her_ alive.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP


	17. Chapter 17: Don't Call Me Princess

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for my dinner. Mr. Dr. Director is going to skin me alive", the Director said.

The four of them watched her walk away, their mouths hanging open, wondering _who_ in _hell_ could _ever_ skin _her_ alive.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

By the time Kim had released Shego from her bear-hug, the Director was long gone. Ron and Josh were standing there watching them with their arms crossed, smiling. Shego looked long and hard into Kim's eyes before taking her arms from around the red-head - who was looking equally long and hard back - then turned to the boys to say:

"Getting our fill, are we?" rather sarcasticlly. Then she smiled at them, as if to say, _so am I_. "I don't know what you said to her – I probably don't want to – but thanks."

"Hey, I had a little to say, too, y'know!" Kim piped up.

"I bet you _did_, Pumpkin. Did you tell her you woke up this morning drooling on my stomach?"

"Well... no..." Kim confessed, "... good thing she didn't ask."

The four of them wound their way to the elevator and got in.

Ron was thinking, _Hookay, boo-yah. A new chapter starts. Where do we go from here? _Mundane details were crowding his brain: _where's she going to live? What about when school starts? She's going to work for the GJ, and Kim doesn't... how's _that_ going to work? And _when_ am I going to have a chance to be alone with Josh?_ _For that matter, when are THEY going to have the chance to be alone? They must both be dying... _

There was something else, though, nagging him._ What else... what am I missing... _And then it occurred to him, _oh, yeah. Lee-Jinn. I gotta have Josh look over what I've done._

"Shego, while you're getting 'outfitted', I think me and Josh are going to go on back home... to the apartment, I mean. I need to show him some stuff" Ron said.

"I bet you _do_" came the sarcastic reply, and not from Shego – but from Kim. She hadn't meant it as mean as it sounded, but everyone was looking at her.

Josh said, "Now, Kim. Don't be that way. Or you're going to start getting it right back."

"You _know_ I didn't mean it in a bad way. Sorry." Kim apologized. She turned to Shego. "Look, getting outfitted is going to take awhile, and I really need to check in with my Mom... I haven't been home in what, three days? I'll take you down there, and then pick you up in a few hours. Okay? Guys, see you out front."

The boys got off on the ground floor, while Kim and Shego continued the ride down. As soon as the doors closed again, Kim turned to the other girl, threw her arms around her neck, and jumped up onto her, wrapping her legs around Shego's waist.

This time, the kiss _was_ greedy, sexy, long, and Kim's tongue explored Shego's molars. Kim was pushing Shego's head toward her mouth, mashing the other girl's nose into her cheek. Shego was actually shocked by her girlfriend's apparent lust – she hadn't expected, well, had never thought, anyway, that Kim could be so... _horny!_ _Ever!_ Shego's eyes never even closed. She kept it going for as long as she could, but then she had to fairly _push_ Kim off her mouth, because she simply couldn't breathe with her mouth and nose both blocked.

The elevator stopped as Shego was still holding onto the girl wrapped around her, panting for air. The door opened, but Kim was too occupied with the taste of Shego's neck and ear to notice. Kim was voracious, rapacious, starved... she_ needed. _Luckily, no one was there waiting for a ride back up, and the elevator opening only presented an empty hallway.

"Kim... Kim!" Shego tried to snap her out of it, but Kim was lost. Her breath, fast and deep, was blowing back Shego's jet-black hair. It was as if she couldn't breath_ enough. "KIM!"_

The teenager looked her lover in the face, panting like a cheetah, mouth still open, legs still tightly holding on, as if Shego might slip away if she didn't squeeze tightly enough.

"Uh..." Shego forgot what she was going to say. The look in Kim's eyes held the older girl spellbound. Kim was feral. She had the look of a wild animal, a predator, gazing back at her as if Shego was intending to steal her kill. It was actually a little frightening.

"Uh... we're here..." Shego managed to get out, but still Kim stared hard into her eyes, her pupils frozen into place.

Then, just like that, Kim blinked. Her eyes widened, and she scrambled to release her embrace and stand on her own two feet again. Once she was, she just stood there, panting, hands out as if about to fend off multiple attackers, eyes alert but downcast. One would have thought she was surrounded by lions about to pounce. When the elevator doors started to close again, she whirled to face them.

"Kim? Uh... are you okay?" Shego asked.

Kim whirled again to face Shego, apparently having forgotten she was there. Finally coming to her senses and realizing where she was, Kim put her arms down, and stood up out of her battle-crouch. She looked up into Shego's eyes with something like humiliation mixed with fright.

"I... Shego, I don't know what, uh" Kim began, but had to turn away as she felt her face start to burn. "I... got carried away, I guess..."

_I'll say..._ Shego thought. _Carried away in a straight-jacket!_

Still embarrassed, but almost able to breathe normally, Kim turned to hit the "Door Open" button. "I need to... find the restroom" she lied, "The door you want is on the left side, just around the corner up there, to the left. Uh," she looked back into Shego's eyes to find her _still_ surprised, "I'll see you in a few hours? Say, 9?"

"Yeah. Nine. See you then, Pumpkin" Shego said without conviction. She stepped out of the elevator, and the doors started to close again. Until Kim stopped them.

The words coming in bursts of one and two syllables, Kim said, "Shego... I just... never... knew... that I... could _feel..._ like that. Like this."

Shego went up to her girlfriend framed in the elevator doors, and kissed her on the forehead.

"I never knew you could, either, Kim. I'm a little surprised, is all. Strike that. I'm _extremely_ surprised. See you at nine, Pumpkin."

"Yeah" was all Kim could say as the doors closed a final time.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

It was a long hallway, lined with doors on the right, a blank wall on the left. _Kind of drab_, Shego was thinking, making her way to the end.

Suddenly, a door about halfway down opened, and a rather good-looking man – broad shoulders, square jaw, blue eyes – stepped out and began walking her way. He looked at her in an odd way.

_Yeah, don't usually pass ME in the halls around here, do you, secret-agent-man, _Shego thought.

But as he got closer the man's face brightened, a look of recognition coming across his features. "Sheaghen! Hey, hardly recognized you in those clothes! 'Bout time you had a change of fashion! Hey listen, I'm late for a dinner-date, so can't chat, but tell Elle 'good job' on the belly-button! It suits you!" The man hurridly made his way to the elevator, then, deciding it would take too long, took the stairs instead.

Shego just watched him carefully, almost expecting an attack as he went by. Then she watched him until the door to the stairwell silently closed. _ Sheaghen? Good job on the belly-button?_ She glanced down at her own belly, exposed thanks to her shirt borrowed from Kim. _Good job?_

_Okay, THAT was weird._ Then she considered. _Okay, maybe for this week, that wasn't so weird, after all. _ She smiled to herself.

Turning the corner, she saw a group of people at the far end of the hall. One of them, then two, waved at her. She waved back. Her brow furrowed, _what's going on here? Why aren't these people asking me what I'm doing here, or attacking me, or SOMEthing! Do they have a LOT of green-skinned sexy women roaming the halls? Without belly-buttons?_

A double-door on the left came into view, on it a large letter 'L' was painted. _Ah, 'L'. Not 'Elle'. I get it. It's a 'Men in Black' thing._ She stood in front of it awhile, trying to decide whether to knock or just go in. Normally, of course, she would have just barged right in. But then again, normally she didn't turn herself in to the Law - after having been employed by Satan - in order to be able to spend time with her lesbian girlfriend. She knocked.

When the door opened, she was looking into her own face, at her own body, albiet clad in her formerly ubiquitous green-and-back catsuit.

The new version of Shego said, "Well, if it isn't the prototype. Is this a social call or have you come by for a long-overdue upgrade..." She'd said it all very sarcastically but playfully... just the way Shego always spoke.

"Who's bothering me now, Sheaghen?" a familiar voice called from the distance.

"Um... friend of yours. Maybe you'd better come see." Sheaghen shouted back, then looked slyly back at Shego. Shego was too stunned to speak intelligibly. The other girl looked _exactly_ like her. Well, like she used to look. Like she _would_ look again, she reminded herself.

"Who... what... who..."

"Bit of a shock, isn't it?" Shego's copy smiled back. "Ooooh, this is going to be _such wicked_ fun! C'mon in, Shego. Let's party!" she chuckled to herself.

Footsteps could be heard coming from another room, off the main laboratory floor. "I don't _have _any friends, so what in blazes do you..." a blue-skinned man in an equally blue frock coat was saying, then he saw her.

"Shego!" he cried, he smiled widely, showing all his teeth. Then, as if remembering something, he forced the smile away, and turned around, crossing his arms. "I'm not talking to you!"

Shego looked back and forth between the two. It was like walking in on her own past, and she briefly looked around the room to see if it was an illusion, a hologram or something. A trick. Drakken. Drakken and Shego. In a laboratory. But,_ she _was Shego! Dammit!

_Drakken? 'L'? Lipsky? Here?_

"C'mon, Drak. Aren't you going to introduce me to your old 'friend'?" the other Shego said, then turned to look at her, "Oh, we're just going to have _so_ much fun! I just _know_ we have lots in common!" She could barely get the words out between the chuckles.

_Drak?_

Drakken turned back around. "Sheaghen, this is Shego. My _former_ assistant. Shego, Sheaghen" he said, then looked at Shego and frowned, "Now go away. I don't want to see you."

Still unable to form a coherent thought, Shego said, "Shee-gin?"

The cat-suited version cleared it up for her. "SHE-GEN. As in, Shego-again. Sheaghen. Get it? Yeah, I know, believe me, it wasn't _my_ choice. I wanted to be named 'Sparkimus Rexx', but he wouldn't go for it." She smiled ear-to-ear. Obviously, Sheaghen was having fun with this whole thing.

Shego gave her a look of, _You're just weird_, and turned her attention back to "Drak".

"YOU'RE working for the GJ?" she asked.

"We came to an agreement, yes. Nearly unlimited funding, but they pick the projects. Room, board, rather small salary, but I got to pick the assistant of my choice..." he said, regretting having added that last part. "And in return, I don't try to take over the world."

"YOU made a copy of _ME_?" Shego cried, some of the pieces coming together for her. "You _CLONED_ me?"

Sheaghen corrected her, "Oh, my dear Princess... a clone? Oh, yuck! Besides, You think _he_ could carry off a cloning operation? I'm a syntho-drone, of course. God, I wouldn't be able to stand it if I were a meat-bag. Clone? Please!"

It took awhile for Shego to absorb that. "You made a ROBOT of me?"

"_Synth, _if you please" Sheaghen interrupted, "... anatomically correct, too!" she added with a wicked smile.

"Sheaghen!" Dr. Drakken cried.

"Anatom... correct? You mean..." Shego paused as more pieces fell into place. _Anatomically correct? She has... she can... HE built her... Oh. Oh! OH! _

"YOU SICK BASTARD! YOU ARE _SO_ DEAD!" Shego screamed, instinctivly lighting up her hands.

Seeing the look on her face, Dr. Drakken shouted to his drone, "Sheaghen! Protect!"

At the sound of the words, Sheaghen's face went stone dead, devoid of all emotion. She said mechanically, "Protect. Programmed response: protect Dr. Drakken at all costs."

The drone took a step and did a half-twist, crouching into fighting position, arms out, feet apart, eyes looking into Shego's. Shego did almost exactly the same thing, facing the robot. They were squared off, ready for battle. Shego had never seen a syntho-drone move as fast as Sheaghen had, and never faced one that actually looked like it knew what it was doing.

They glared at one another, Shego and her copy. Then, Sheaghen did something unexpected. She winked.

The drone stood, obviously relaxing, and an amused smile came back to her face. She leaned back against the lab-counter, and crossed her arms in front of her. " 'Programmed response?' I don't _think_ so." She started to giggle.

"Sheaghen! I _order_ you to protect me!" Drakken shouted worriedly.

The drone looked at him, and nodded toward Shego, who was still crouched and still flaming. "She has a point, you know. You _are_ a sick bastard. _You_ programmed me with her personality, ya know..." she said, then glanced back at the ex-theif, "Maybe he programmed me a little too thoroughly, eh?" She began to giggle again.

Dr. Drakken regarded his creation with his eyes wide, as it sank in on him that she was _not_ going to be fighting Shego. Then he looked at Shego, who was staring back at him, eyes narrowed, and displaying her usual smirk.

"Aaaaahhhhhhhh" he screamed, as he turned to run back through the door from which he had come, hoping to lose Shego in the labrynthine maze of rooms within the laboratory. "Ahhhhhhh" they heard him scream again, a little fainter.

The drone was sitting on the counter, now, laughing her ass off. "Oh! Oh! This is just he most fun I've had in... well, this may be the most fun I've _ever_ had!" she said to no one in particular. Then she held her arms up in the air, impersonating Drakken. "Aaaaahhhhhhhh!" she screamed, and burst out in laughter all over again.

Shego had to admit, it _was_ funny. But she had too many questions to enjoy the moment. It was too weird, anyway. She straightned out of her crouch, _wuff_ing the plasma surrounding her hands out. Despite herself, she was beginning to kind of _like_ this drone.

_So she not only looks exactly like me, but she has my personality, too? How'd he do that?_

Once Sheaghen's laughter had died down - and it took a little while, as she'd start all over whenever she'd impersonate Drakken again – she regarded Shego, staring at her questioningly.

"Haaaa" Sheaghen sighed. "That was fun. Aren't you going after him?"

"It can wait. I'd rather ask _you_ a few questions. Like, exactly _HOW _ 'anatomically correct' are you?"

"Not at all! I lied. It was a beautiful lie, too, see, because it accomplished two goals: it pulled _your_ chain, and it got _him_ into trouble! It was art! I am SO good!" the drone laughed still more.

_Hey, that WAS good..._ Shego admitted,_ waitaminnute... _

"So, you have _my_ 'personality'? How did he manage to program that in?" Shego asked, _and how did he get it so RIGHT?_

"Yeah. 'member the 'Compliance Chip'? Well, turns out, apparently, that the personality of the wearer gets sort of 'burned' into it. Drak integrated it into my circuitry. And Lo and Behold: Shego-again!" Sheaghen paused, noticing the worried look in the human's eyes. "Don't worry, I _only_ have your personality, not your memories or anything. And besides, it's just a simulated personality, you know. Like my emotions – simulated. I'm not the real thing, but an amazing simulation!" she chuckled.

"Yeah. An _amazing_ simulation" Shego agreed. "But I'm not sure I like having my personality copied."

"Don't go getting all possessive on me, Princess. It's _my_ personality now. I've had it for almost a year, so it's mine. You can't have it back. Besides," the drone sighed, "you have no idea how _boring_ it is being a synth without one. Gah. 'Personality' is probably the only good thing you humans have come up with, in your whole evolution. Well... and the breasts are quite nice, too, I have to admit. Speaking of which, looks like ole' Drak may have been a bit – _over enthusiastic_ – in that department, eh, Princess?" Sheaghen nodded toward Shego's chest.

"I've been... on a diet. They'll come back" Shego said with a little chagrin. "And don't call me 'Princess'."

"Good. I've always prided myself on being an _exact_ copy of a real person, hate to think I was a cartoon. Princess" she grinned evilly. "You of all people should have known better than to tell _me_ how to punch your buttons."

It was true, she should have. Another thing was true, too: Shego _did_ like Sheaghen. Even the weirdness of it was... interesting. Shego just smiled, "If you know me so well, you also know not to get on my wrong side, right?"

"Doy" said the drone. "Hey, I've just decided it's time for my break. I bet you like coffee. Since you're the prototype, you get to buy."

"Actually, I'm flat broke. Seems I've just made a sizeable contribution to the GJ..."

Sheaghen sighed. "Ah, they fined your butt off too, eh? Same with Drak. Okay, _I'll_ buy, then, but you owe me. They don't pay synths, y'know. What money I have I steal from Drak's piggy-bank."

Shego smiled at that thought. "Y'know what, Sheaghen? I'm liking you more all the time."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP


	18. Chapter 18: Tacos?

Sheaghen sighed. "Ah, they fined your butt off too, eh? Same with Drak. Okay, _I'll_ buy, then, but you owe me. They don't pay synths, y'know. What money I have I steal from Drak's piggy-bank."

Shego smiled at that thought. "Y'know what, Sheaghen? I'm liking you more all the time."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

In the GJ parking-lot, Ron got in the driver's side, leaving Kim to offer Josh the other front-seat, over his (light) protests.

"Just drop me off at my house, Ron" Kim said. She didn't feel like talking much, still trying to get over the intensity of her interlude with Shego in the elevator. It had come by surprise, and out of nowhere. She hadn't known she was going to "jump on Shego's bones" as soon as he door closed, and she _certainly_ didn't know she would become so... engrossed... in her girlfriend. _I swear to God, I wanted to actually eat her flesh! What happened to me? I'm not like that..._

_Am I?_

Ron and Josh were talking about the work Ron had done on Shego's missions, which gave Kim ample time to think about things. After giving up on figuring herself out, Kim watched Middleton go by in the night, then another problem presented itself in her mind.

_How am I – and AM I – going to tell Mom I'm a lesbian? Do I have to, at all? Maybe not, maybe..._

But her mom would figure it out. Shego wasn't subtle – _and apparently I'm not either, sometimes – _and if they were going to spend any time together... well, her mom would figure it out. For that matter, so would Bonnie, Monique... Mr. Barkin... everybody would know. They'd all be sniggering behind her back. Probably calling her "rug-muncher", which had sounded so funny coming from Ron, but wouldn't from Bonnie.

The thought of the whole school whispering about her, glancing at her, avoiding her was making her physically sick. Even Monique would be different towards her, though she might not come right out and ask, "So, Kim, word on the street is you're a Lez. Whazzup wi' dat?"

She'd have to come out. She'd have to tell Mom. She'd might as well call up Bonnie and put it straight to her - well, to her answering machine, most likely.

"Hey, Ron? Sorry to interrupt, but have you told you parents... about... y'know..." Kim asked.

Ron took awhile to answer, getting his mind to switch gears, as it were. "No. Probably never will. I think Dad could at least handle it, but Mom's... kind of... well, traditional Jewish, I guess you'd say. The Torah does not look kindly at things like that. No, I'll never tell them." He paused awhile, and then added, "If they find out on their own, then fine. I'll deal. Otherwise, it's 'don't ask, don't tell', between my parents and me."

"What about you, Josh?" Kim asked the other boy.

He sighed, "Yeah, I did. Had too. They found my... well, never mind. It was... memorable. I think they've become more accepting, even if I know they don't like it. We just try to stay out of each other's way, mostly. It helps that they're off so much of the time at digs around the world, looking for bones."

Kim sighed, everyone seemed to have a special situation, none of which were of help to her.

Josh said "Thinking of coming out to your Mom, Kim?"

"Yeah. Thinking about it."

"I wish _I_ had your Mom to come out to. She's so cool. I don't know what you're worried about." Josh said, trying to be comforting.

"That's 'cause you're not a girl. Mom's want grandchildren", Kim said, and then thought about it, and went on, "Sorry, that's not fair, they probably want grandkids from their sons, too." She took a deep breath, "I don't know what to expect. I really don't."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim lied to her mother about almost everything that she had been doing the last few days. Mrs. Possible seemed not to notice, and kept doing little housework chores while listening to her. But she could tell something was on her daughter's mind.

After saying hello and get-the-hell-out-of-here to the Tweebs, Kim found her mother alone – at last - in the kitchen, chopping up ingredients for a salad. The Tweebs were in their room. So at least it was a good time to talk. Kim wished it wasn't.

_Mom, listen, I'm gay. Hi, Mom, I'm a lesbian, by the way. Mom, I'm... Mom, I'm in love. With a woman. Mom, I'm in love with Shego, and we..._ Kim sighed. Then she finally had a different thought.

"Mom, did you and Dad... did you fall in love first, or were you, uh, _attracted_ to each other first?"

Her mother shot her a curious glance. "That's an intimate question to hear from my teenage daughter, Kimmie-cub", she went back to work slicing cucumbers. "Well, I can't speak for your Dad, but I guess as for me... I fell in love first, and then became... _interested_, later. You know what I mean. We were in college, not a lot of free time, not a lot of time to _think_ about relationships and such... but, yes, dear, I guess you could say I fell in love first. What an odd question! Why, are -", and she stopped.

Trying to be calm, and still slicing the vegetables, Anne Possible said, "Is it Ron?"

"No, Mom, I just -"

"Josh?"

"No. Listen I -"

"Not Brick...", her mother continued.

"Mom! No. Look -"

"Monique?"

"MOM! NO! I was -"

"Bonnie?", her mother asked with a little dread in her voice.

"_MOOOM_! I'll -"

But her mother sighed loudly, cutting her off. She had dropped her utensils and was holding onto the counter with both hands, looking down into the salad-bowl.

"It's Shego, isn't it..." Mrs. Possible said dejectedly.

Kim was dumbstruck.

"Really, Kimmie, if you're going to swing that way, why couldn't it be Monique? She's such a _nice_ girl..."

"_DID EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS EXCEPT ME_!" Kim yelled, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Calm down, Kimmie-cub. I _am_ your mother, remember. I notice things. And if anyone else _did_ know, they certainly never told me."

Kim was fishing around blindly with her hands looking for something to sit on. Finally, she found a stool, sat on it, and tried to focus on what was happening. _She KNEW! No. She guessed. She GUESSED! _

Her mother tried to calm her down, "Kim, it's all right... I'm not... upset. It's just that, well, I mean _Shego_... she's broken some of your bones! She's a villian! She works for that Drakken character! I... I was just hoping you could find someone... _more suitable_, that's all."

_It's all right?_

"Mom, she's not like that. Well, okay, I know she _was_ like that, but she's changed. If you could -"

"She's a thief!" her mother interrupted.

"Not any more."

"She works for Drakken!"

"She quit..." Kim answered.

"She's a wanted criminal!"

"... and turned herself in to the GJ" Kim countered.

That stopped Mrs. Possible cold. "She did?"

"That's right."

After a considerable pause, her mother asked, "Why?"

At which Kim looked up into her mother's face and said, voice cracking, "... for _me_, Mom."

Now it was Anne's turn to fish for a chair. She found the stool next to Kim's. "I see." They both sat in silence for a long time.

Finally, Anne Possible sighed. Then Kim did the same. Then her mother said, "So she's in prison, I expect?"

"She's working for the GJ. We just made the deal a couple of hours ago with Dr. Director" Kim said without looking up.

"Wow. She must've impressed the Director. So she's a white-hat now? A good-guy?"

"Looks like" Kim answered, not sure where her mother was going with all this.

Mrs. Possible looked over at her daughter. "You're sure about all this?", she asked seriously.

"Yes, Mom," Kim's voice sounded resigned, "I'm sure about all this."

Another long silence ensued. Eventually, Mrs. Possible got up and resumed her salad preparations.

"Well, you'd better bring her to dinner, then. Tomorrow?"

_Huh? Is that it?_ Kim thought, _she asks "Are you sure?", I say "yes", and it's all over?_

Kim looked over at her mother, finally understanding that it was, in fact, going to be "alright". "You mean it? Here? Dinner?"

"Of course."

_Bringing Shego, my lesbian lover – well, almost – over to meet my Mom? I'm sorry, that's too weird. No way. Unless..._

"Uhm... can Ron and Josh come, too?" Kim asked.

It was not something Mrs. Possible had expected her daughter to say, but hey, she'd learned to expect the unexpected from her daughter. Boy, had she. "If you like. Four of you then?"

"Yeah" Kim answered. "Uh, and I think you'd better get used to that. The 'four' of us, I mean."

"I'm rather surprised about you inviting Josh, though... I thought you two... uh..." then she got it. Kim and Shego, not Ron. Ron and Josh, not Kim. "... _ahem_, never mind. Okay, the four of you, then. Tacos?" _My GAWD! _thought Mrs. Possible, horrified, _was THAT a Freudian slip or WHAT?_

"No! No tacos! Please, Mom, nothing that ends in 'oh'!" Kim cried, luckily missing the allusion.

"Settle down, Kimmie. Steak on the grill, then. Is that okay?"

Kim got off her stool and hugged her mother, suddenly overcome with emotion. "You're the best Mom, Mom..."

And patting her daughter on the back, Mrs. Possible responded simply, "Yes. I know." _I can't BELIEVE I said "Tacos"._ She grinned.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

_This is Bonnie. You know what to do. BEEEP_

Uh, Bonnie? This is Kim. Uhm... I'm a lesbian. Pass it on. Probably didn't need to say that... Uh... bye.

_Click_

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Once inside the door of the apartment, Ron gave Josh a proper "Welcome Home" kiss; long, breathless, and eyes closed. In their embrace, they could feel each other begin to stiffen. Josh pulled away to look at Ron slyly, "We have time, y'know."

"I know. But..." Ron wasn't sure if it would sound silly or not, "... well, _they_ haven't even had _one_ chance yet. I feel kind of bad about it. I don't suppose... you could come over to my house, tonight?"

"Bad Idea, Ace. Wait... you mean they've never..."

"No. They haven't had the chance!" Ron replied, and Josh could see that he was deeply concerned about the other couple. _Gawd, Ron, you really are SO sweet!_

"You think they're ready?" Josh asked.

"Shego's been ready for years, waiting on Kim. And Kim... well, she's only been ready for maybe one day, but... I think she's going to _explode_ if it doesn't happen soon. And your parents are home, so _your_ place is out..." Ron returned to the original problem.

"_So_ out. Look, we'll just all stay here again. The girls can have the bedroom, we'll take the den. Or 'living-room'. Whatever room this is. What's wrong with that?"

"Well... what's _wrong_ with that is... you're kind of... _loud_, sometimes, Skeeter" Ron told him.

"Oh, you're one to talk!"

"I am? I mean... I am?" Ron asked, shyly.

"You are. Ace.", and Josh pecked him on the cheek. "But so what. I've lived with sisters, before they went off to college. Trust me, they'll be louder. It'll be okay. Besides... it's weird, I know, but I kind of have the feeling like... we're all in this together, if ya know what I mean. Might as well get used to each other."

Ron thought about it. It could end up _so_ embarrassing... but Josh was right. So what? Because he felt it too, they _were_ all "in it" together. "So, wait 'till tonight?"

"You're the Ace, Ace." They broke apart and Josh went over to check out papers scattered across the kitchen(ette) table. "Wow" he said, looking over Ron's work.

Ron felt a little rush of pride at the _wow_. It wasn't often he got to impress Josh with his mental skills, and he eagerly stepped over to explain what he'd done. But before he got there, Josh again said:

"Wow..." He looked over at Ron, who was obviously dying to explain, "You really _do_ suck at this. You weren't kidding!"

Ron was absolutely crestfallen, having gone from _so_ high to _so_ low, and _so_ fast. Josh could see the hurt in his eyes. _I went too far_, he thought. He went over to Ron and embraced him again.

"I'm just yanking your chain, Ron. I'm sorry. I can see you were trying hard... really." He lifted his boyfriend's chin to kiss him lightly, but afterward Ron looked down again. "C'mon, Ace. I'll make it up to ya tonight. Promise. Or if ya want, tomorrow we can go to the gym and you can kick my ass, as usual."

Ron finally looked up into Josh's eyes. He smiled, "That'd be nice. Skeeter" he said.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Sheaghen led Shego to Dr. Drakken's office. "He'll probably be in here by now, cowering behind his desk" she said, and then added, looking Shego in the face, "Look, I know I'm mean to him, but I still like the man, in a way. He _did_ create me, after all. I owe him for that. Don't be too cruel, okay?"

Shego smiled. "I'll try to restrain myself. See you later, Sheaghen."

"Ta, Princess."

_Oooh! I'm going to have to think of something to call her, too_, Shego thought, _otherwise she's going to be calling me 'Princess' forever!_ She opened Drakken's office door.

Which turned out to be more like a play-room than an "office". Beside the desk were at least 4 different kinds of gaming consoles, an Aleinware PC with a 24" LCD monitor displaying Lara Croft's backside, and monstrous speakers in every corner. Drakken was indeed behind his desk, or at least, the top of his head was – he looked like a blue version of "Kilroy was here".

"Shego! I... I can explain! Nothing happened between us! She is NOT ana-"

"-tomically correct, I know" Shego said, "In fact, she doesn't even have a belly-button. I think you should fix that." She lit up her hands. "I _really_ think she should have a belly-button."

A muffled voice came from outside the office door as Sheaghen yelled "And nipples!"

"And nipples" Shego finished, smiling and putting out her plasma.

"Fine fine. Have you just come here to suggest improvements to my staff, or do you have other business... as you can see, I'm not in the crime business anymore, so perhaps you should be on your way. I don't think I can help you, whatever it is you want" Drakken was brave enough to say, finally sitting up in his chair.

Yup, that was Drakken alright. Shego felt a strange (to her) sense of... what could she call it... "visiting home after a long time away". She relaxed. Relaxed fully for the first time since she'd come to GJ headquarters. This – and he – were _her_ domain, a place where _she_ knew the pecking-order and what she could – and couldn't – get away with.

"It's good to see you, Dr. D. Been a long time" she said summing it all up, and chuckling to herself. It was absurd that it would be "good to see" him, yet it was true.

Her civil tongue caught Drakken off-guard. He hadn't expected anything like that. It was the kindest thing she'd ever said to him. It must be a trick. He looked askance at her.

"What are you up to? Why are you here?" he asked cautiously. "And why are you dressed like Kim Possible?" he added, more curious now.

"Ah... it's a long story. Short version: I'm working for the GJ too, now. I'm here to get 'outfitted', whatever that means. I was told to see 'L', not knowing it stood for 'Lipsky'." She left out a small little detail – her new relationship with Kim – because, somehow, it just didn't seem right to mention it.

"You? You're..." it took awhile for all that to sink in. Nothing could have been more out of character for Shego than to be working for the GJ. He couldn't have been more surprised if she'd said she'd taken up synchronized swimming and needlepoint. He realized she couldn't be lying though, because it really _was_ stranger than fiction.

In order to appear unshaken by such an earthquake, he put it off to the side in his mind, and yelled for his assistant. "Sheaghen!"

The drone had been waiting behind the door, listening. "You bellowed?"

"Sheaghen, go round up the usual agent accessories. Communicator, tracking tag... you know. The standard bag. Meet us in the fitting room."

Sheaghen put on her emotionless, flat expression and said, "Yes, Master."

"Ha ha. Very funny, Sheaghen. Now go" Drakken dismissed her with a wave of his hand, trying to keep from smiling. Shego was grinning at him, but he pretended not to notice.

"I assume you'll be wanting your usual suit? I could let you have a couple of Sheaghen's, if you're in a hurry..." he said as they stood to go to the "fitting room". Then he stopped, and looked closely the raven-haired, green-skinned, ex-thief up and down, for the first time. "Um... have you... that is to say..."

Shego cut him off before he could find the words, "Like I said, it's a long story. I'm getting better, okay? My old measurements will be fine. I'll fill it out eventually." Then something else occurred to her. "Wait. I want to make a little change... you have it on computer?"

"There's a terminal in the fitting-room, yes" Drakken replied.

"Then let's go" she said curtly, obviously thinking about something.

The wound their way to the fitting-room. By the time they got there, Sheaghen was already waiting with a knapsack of goodies.

Drakken sat down behind a terminal and brought up a 3-D rendered version of Shego's green-and-black suit. "What changes did you have in mind?"

Shego sat next to him. "Uh, can I drive?" she asked, rather more nicely than Drakken would have expected. He slid the mouse over to her.

Shego drew a curved triangular slice – trying to follow the same style as the rest of the suit's pattern - at the upper left side of the chest. Then she pulled down the color-chooser, and mixed herself just the right shade of red to fill it with. She sat back. "There."

"Red? You're adding a swath of red to your..." Drakken began, but stopped abruptly as realization dawned on him. That shade of red – she'd been very particular about it, mixing it herself like that... where had he seen _that_ particular shade of red... Oh, yes... Drakken leaned back, putting his feet on the desk holding the terminal. He smiled broadly at Shego. It all fit: her turning herself in, her clothes, the red swath she suddenly wanted on her suit...

"So, Shego, old girl... You finally fell in love, did you? Finally made a pass. Or was it her, first?" he asked laughing inside.

"What? What are you talking about?" Shego stalled. _He COULDN'T be guessing THAT. No WAY!_

"Oh, come now. I'm just curious who broke the ice first, that's all. Was it you, or was it Miss Possible?"

Shego was dumbstruck, just as Kim had been.

"Well? Honestly, it was mean of you to leave that little detail out of your 'short version of the story'. That's the piece that makes it all fit together!" Drakken was almost giggling.

"_DID EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS EXCEPT ME_!"Shego finally screamed when she realize that Drakken had indeed, guessed - and wasn't even surprised.

"Calm down, Shego. I was your employer for a number of years. I notice things. I may be 'mad', but I'm not 'stupid' ", he chuckled. "C'mon now. Spill the beans."

Shego took awhile to let the shock wear off. She glanced over at Sheaghen, who was looking at her quizically. "Who's 'Miss Possible'?" Sheaghen asked.

"Never mind." was all Shego could think to say on short notice. _Wait. She has MY personality. Does that mean she... I mean, would that mean... _Shego shuddered a little inside. _I'd better keep Kim away from her, just in case. _She looked back at Drakken.

"That, by itself, is a long story I don't care to repeat. Let's just say it was both of us, ok? And if you don't stop giggling, I'm going to give your face a matching scar on the other side. Got it? 'Drak'?"

"Humph" Drakken frowned, "just trying to make a little light conversation. No need to jump down my throat about it."

Shego sighed. "Let's just forget about it. Am I done here?"

"Yes. Your suits will be done by tomorrow afternoon. Three of them. I believe that's all -", Drakken was interrupted by Sheaghen:

"Hey! What about my nipples! What about my belly-button!"

Shego smiled at the synth, "I'm sure you can find something suitable on the 'Net. Some of the fakes of me are actually -"

"I don't want a 'fake'. I _told_ you, I pride myself on being an accurate representation of an actual person! We're going to need scans..." Sheaghen said.

"No fuckin' way."

Dr. Drakken said, "Shego's right. We can work from other images, there's no need to scan -"

"But... Oh, you damn humans! You don't understand anything! And you don't seem to care to, either!" Sheaghen was staring at the floor, dejected. Then she looked back up into Shego's face, "Please? Pretty-please?", and made the Shego-version of "puppy-dog eyes" at her.

For Shego to hear herself say "Please", let alone "pretty-please" shook her. But the puppy-dog eyes, on HER face, was another shock of a different order of magnitude. _This must be REALLY important to her... Oh, what the hell._

"Okay okay. Don't make puppy-dog eyes at me. Ever. I mean it. In fact, I should slap you for burning that picture into my brain." Shego looked back at Drakken. "But _she's_ going to run the scanner, not _you_! Understand?"

Drakken replied somewhat uneasily, "Yes. Yes, I think that would be best... certainly... The scanner is behind that screen over there. I'll just take care of the digitizing from here. You do realize, I will have to see the images, don't you?"

"Yeah. But if I _EVER_ find one on the 'Net, you know what will happen!",Shego lit up a single hand with hot plasma.

"You cut me, Shego. You really do. I thought we were beyond all that." he sounded actually hurt.

Shego softened, just a little, and put out her fire. "Well... I'm just sayin', is all." She sighed and walked over to the screen with Sheaghen. Once behind it, she sighed again, and removed her top and bra.

"I don't believe I'm doing this..." she said.

Sheaghen was excited about he prospect of acquiring decorations, as she thought of them, and wasn't listening. "Okay. Hold still and let me get a good scan... got it. Other one... Now the belly-button..." she aimed the scanning-laser lower, "Right. Okay, you can -"

Drakken said, "Uh, Shego. We're going to need two images, you know..."

"Doy" Shego said, "She already did that."

"No. I mean, two _sets_ of images, if you want to look at it that way."

Shego looked over the screen at him suspiciously, "What for?"

Dr. Drakken answered carefully, "Well... uhm... let me put it this way: could you think... _cold_ thoughts?"

Shego's head lowered behind the screen again, and she went back to stand on the 'x' taped to the floor. She sighed heavily, then she tweaked herself with her fingertips saying, "I do not_ BELIEVE _I'm doing this!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP


	19. Chapter 19: Just Peaches

Dr. Drakken answered carefully, "Well... uhm... let me put it this way: could you think... _cold_ thoughts?"

Shego's head lowered behind the screen again, and she went back to stand on the 'x' taped to the floor. She sighed heavily, then she tweaked herself with her fingertips saying, "I do not_ BELIEVE _I'm doing this!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Ron picked Kim up at her house, and she climbed in the front seat next to him. Josh had been left at his brother's apartment to work on the matrix of missions from Shego's employment with Lee. They headed off to GJ headquarters to pick up Shego, after stopping for gas and a few snacks to tide them over.

Kim had ridden in silence since Ron had picked her up. She was still trying to get over her mother's reaction – or lack thereof – to her 'coming out'. _She actually listed Monique and Bonnie as potential lovers!_ she thought. _Didn't sound like she'd have been too happy if it'd been Bonnie, though. Of course, she was none too pleased with the idea of Shego, either, at first..._

Finally, Ron asked, "So, uh... how'd it go?"

"She already knew. It wasn't even a surprise!", Kim sighed. Coming out to her mother had been almost a non-event. "She was just disappointed that Shego was my choice, is all. But I told her how things are now... oh, we're invited to dinner tomorrow night, by the way."

"Boo-yah! Free food! Well, I'm glad you could do it, anyway" Ron said.

Kim looked out the window. It wasn't finished yet. "I left a message on Bonnie's machine. So by tomorrow, _every_one will know. I wish I knew whether that was a good idea or not..."

Ron didn't say anything.

After an awkward moment, she asked, "Well? Do _you_ think it was a stupid thing to do?"

He sighed. "Yeah. Well, I dunno. It's different for girls. All I know is that I can't _wait_ for high school to be over with."

"It's really that bad?"

"It could be. Could we talk about something else?"

After another interlude of tense silence, Kim looked over at him. "So, this is the first chance we've had to be alone since... well, today. Ron... I'm sorry about how I handled it when... when Josh came in. Shego had to zap me out, y'know. I just lost it. Please don't start giggling now..."

He didn't, because he could tell by the tone of her voice that this was no laughing matter. "S'okay, Kim. But... uh... I've been wanting to ask you; was it really _that_ shocking?"

Kim didn't answer right away, but only looked back out the side window. She could see her reflection in the dark glass. "Yes, it was. I'd rather not say why, if that's okay."

"Sure, KP. No big."

"Oh! Ron! Do you _have_ to be so... damn understanding! It just makes it worse!" Kim cried, suddenly angry. Ron was taken aback.

"Uh... sorry..."

"Just STOP it, okay? Stop forgiving me, understanding me, saying 'you're sorry' for things that are _my_ fault... just STOP!"

They rode in silence for a city mile.

Kim was the one who finally gave in. She couldn't stand keeping the shame to herself anymore. "I've been taking advantage of you for _years_ Ron! Seriously. For... like, since I can remember."

Since Kim had opened the can, Ron pried, "How so?"

"Because I've always known I'd never have to be alone. I've always known _you'd_ be there no matter what. I'd go out with guys to check them out, knowing that if it didn't work out, there'd always be you. I kept thinking I'd find... someone better, somehow..." she sighed deeply, "But I never had to worry about it, because I _knew_ you'd always be there. Never even thought about it. Never occurred to me that _you_ might not appreciate being my little safety-net while I look around. I'm basically a conceited, selfish bitch, Ron. And I'd rather make-believe that I 'turned you gay' than admit that", she said, unable to face him. She could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head.

"You're _not_ a 'conceited, selfish bitch', KP..."

"This is _so NOT_ a good time to be understanding, Ron. I am. Shut-up and drive."

Another mile went by, before she was able to calm down enough to say, "So, do you love him?"

Ron looked over at her, then back to the street. "Yeah. But it's not... it's not like you and Shego. We don't have what you have. I dunno how long it'll last, either. I'm just... well, I'm just glad to have it now, is all."

Kim thought about what he'd said. "Do you ever _wish_ it was... like me and Shego?"

He glanced at her again, then sighed and smiled faintly to himself. "Yeah. Sometimes."

"I love you, Ron. You know what I mean" Kim said earnestly. _He was right, saying it DOES make it different._

"Yeah."

And that ended that. The boulder was off her shoulder, he hadn't laughed at her, she'd let him know how she felt, and – at least between them, and at least for now – it was sunshine and peaches.

Speaking of which...

"Candy?" she offered innocently.

"Uhm, sure" he said, and Kim unwrapped it for him, setting the fragrant lozenge into his outstretched hand. He popped it into his mouth without looking at it. Kim was slurping and teething her own candy around on her tongue, licking her lips, and trying to keep from giggling.

"Like it?" she asked him.

"Uhm... sure. What is it?"

"What's it taste like?"

"... I dunno... artificial flavors don't usually taste like what say they do, anyway. Some kind of fruit?"

"Uhm" Kim slurped some more. "Remind you of anything?" She was _so_ proud of herself for being able to act so cool.

It did, in fact, remind Ron of something, but he had no idea what. Something about it was trying to trigger a memory... but wasn't quite able to do it. It was perplexing. His brow furrowed.

"Give me a hint, KP" Ron said in exasperation.

"Well, is it familiar or not?" she wanted to know first.

"Yeah, okay, it's familiar. But I can't for the life of me figure out what or where -"

"Let me put it this way, Ron... You shouldn't have taken my favorite pair. I missed them."

Ron didn't get it – his brow remained furrowed.

"You know, the pink ones with the teddy-bear on the butt?" She kept looking straight ahead, trying to appear fascinated in the passing streetlights.

Ron inadvertently swallowed his candy, with a loud_ gulp. _Kim pretended not to notice, but couldn't hold out for long, and looked over at her ex-boyfriend. When the rays from a passing streetlight would shine on Ron's face, she could see that it was fire-engine red. _Looks like he remembers NOW, _Kim giggled inside.

"Watch the stoplight, Ron. It's saying 'stop', you know..."

Ron had been about to run it, and slammed on the brakes. The resulting silence was only broken by the sound of Kim's incessant suckling on her Jolly Rancher.

When the light turned green, she decided that he'd had enough embarrassment. "It's okay, Ron. Actually, after thinking about it, I was kind of flattered."

"That was a long time ago, Kim..." Ron was finally able to say. To the two teenagers, anything that had happened over a year ago was ancient history.

"True. I guess _your _memory is pretty sharp..." she couldn't help giggling out loud now.

If possible, Ron turned a shade brighter.

"Look, Ron. Let's swap. I've never told anyone about it, and I'll never mention it again, if you never bring up the 'I turned you gay' thing. Do we have a deal?", Kim said diplomatically.

Ron only nodded.

"Good. Want another?" Kim asked holding out another of the orange-ish candies. Ron turned to look at her. "You're just mean" he said. But gradually a smile came to his face. "Sure. Lemme have it."

"Say 'please'."

"Please."

"I dunno, I don't think you're sincere..." Kim said coyly.

"KP! _Please_ give me another panty-flavored candy!" Ron shouted.

They were both still laughing when they came to the GJ building.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego had been waiting on the front steps. When Ron pulled up in front of her, Kim got out and hugged her girlfriend, asking her how it went, and both girls climbed into the backseat of his car.

The first thing Shego said was: "Ron. Food. Now." It was getting close to 11 at night, and they hadn't eaten since they'd picked up Bueno Nacho before going in to the GJ... at which time, Shego hadn't felt especially hungry anyway. "And _not_ Bueno Nacho, either!" she added.

"'fraid there's not much left open. Burgers?" he asked.

"Fine. Uhm... Kim, I'm kind of broke, could I borrow... what's that smell?" Shego sniffed the air.

Ron looked in the rear view mirror to see Kim looking right back at him, and they both broke into stop-and-go snickers.

"What he hell? Kim? What's so funny?" Shego asked.

Kim just dug back into her goody bag and pulled out a candy, holding it up to her. "It's these."

Shego squinted at it in the dim light. "'Jolly Ranchers. Peach-flavor. I don't get it."

To which Kim was unable to stop herself from saying "Oh, you _will", _and breaking into sniggles again.

"Did you guys get a hold of a De-Aging ray or something? You're both acting like sixth-graders. Now _what_ is so funny!" Shego raised her voice over the snickering noises, getting pissed at not being in on the joke.

"BURGERS! Here we go! I'm starved! C'mon. Oh, and Shego? I'm buying" Ron attempted to change the subject. It only worked because Shego was so incredibly hungry, she didn't have to be told twice to get out of the car. _Good thing Jack-in-the-Box is right next to the GJ_, he thought.

Shego devoured four third-pound burgers, two large fries, and what passed – barely – as a "hot apple pie". The woman had a stomach the size of a football, apparently. Ron picked up something for Josh, and they left within half an hour of sitting down. What with the way Shego was stuffing herself, there hadn't been much time for conversation.

Back in the car, Shego patted her stomach and said, "Hey. Guess who else is working at the GJ, now..."

They couldn't guess, so she told them. After the obligatory "What!"'s and "How!"'s, Shego told them about her experience at Drakken's not-exactly-lair, in the basement of the GJ building. She left out the parts about Sheaghen, her synthodrone copy, as well as the improvements to Sheaghen she'd assisted with.

"The times, they are a-changin'" Ron said, somewhat less than melodically.

Back at Josh's brother's apartment, and after Josh had finished his meal, it was time for more awkward silences. This time, it was Josh who laid it out.

"Okay, look. We all know what we all want to do. Here's my plan: girls? You take the bedroom. Ron and I will stay here. I'll put some music on the box, and we'll just... stay out of each other's way 'till morning. Sound good?"

They all looked at him in silence.

Then the two pairs of partners looked at each other, also in silence.

Finally, Shego said, "Uh... Kim? You know I'm dying for this, right?"

Kim nodded, watching her girlfriend's eyes.

"Well... it's just that... it's been a long, _long_ day, I'm stuffed with bad fast-food, and you people keep waking me up at ungodly hours of the morning. So... what I'm saying is..."

Kim completed the thought, "... I want it to be special, too, sweet-heart. I can wait another night, if you can."

Somewhat surprised, Shego asked, "'Sweet-heart'?"

Kim hadn't even realized she'd said it. But now that she did, she stood by it: "Yeah. Sweet-heart" she smiled.

Ron looked at Josh hopefully, because he felt pretty-much the same way as Shego. "Josh?"

To which Josh replied with exaggerated frustration, "I thought you people were supposed to be super-heroes! Super strength and stamina, super-powers and all that! Now you're telling me you're too _tired_ to... to..."

"Screw" Shego offered. She smiled at the blonde-haired boy, the one without the freckles. "Too tired to screw. Look, you guys can -"

But Josh dropped his frustrated-lover act and said, "Oh, thank god! I thought I was the only one!"

They were all able to relax with each other again. "Ron, _I'm_ picking the movie this time!" Shego said.

"Great. 'Xena: Warrior Princess'?" I don't think we have it" he said, scanning the inventory of disks and tapes.

"Funny, Ron. You really are getting quicker" Shego shot back, standing next to him, also looking over the movies. She nudged him with her elbow to emphasize it was all in fun, not that he needed telling. "Man, I'm gonna have to revise this collection. There's just – wait. Here we go. 'Thelma and Louise'!" she held up the disk triumphantly. Both boys groaned.

Shego and Kim took their positions of the night before: Kim between the older girls' legs, head between her breasts. Ron and Josh took up an almost identical situation in the recliner: Ron in front, Josh behind and above.

At the end of the movie, as Thelma and Louise drove off the cliff hand-in-hand, Ron and Kim were sniffling and handing a box of Kleenex back and forth between them. Shego and Josh just looked at each other, squeezed their respective partners, and smiled.


	20. Chapter 20: Big Sex Scene

At the end of the movie, as Thelma and Louise drove off the cliff hand-in-hand, Ron and Kim were sniffling and handing a box of Kleenex back and forth between them. Shego and Josh just looked at each other, squeezed their respective partners, and smiled.

-----

Then, close to 2 a.m., as they were making final bathroom-calls prior to bed, the doorbell rang. Not a second after that, someone was banging on the door, hard. It became a continuous cacophony, the bell and the banging, until Ron finally opened the door.

"Bonnie? Wh-", he began.

But without fanfare, Bonnie burst into the room yelling, "KIM! KIM get your ass out here!"

Having got that out of the way, she looked about her, noticing Shego, putting the disk away, Josh, on his way to the kitchen with the popcorn bowl, an taking a closer look at Ron, still moist around the eyes from the movie's ending, and gathering glasses to take to the sink.

"Is she here? Where is she?", the brunette cheerleader demanded to know. "And what... Josh? Ok, look, I don't even _want_ to know. Just get me Kim!"

Shego answered, becoming territorial, dangerous; "She's in the bathroom. May I help you?" She turned to squarely face the intruder, eyes narrowing, her stance showing she was ready for action.

Bonnie looked at her, then back at the two boys. Before she could speak, Kim stepped out of the bathroom and said, "Uh, what's all the racket out here?"

"Kim! We need to talk! NOW!", Bonnie's eyes latched onto the tired red-head. She turned to go back outside, and Shego began to take steps to follow her. As she passed Ron, he grabbed her shoulder to spin her around.

"Shego! No... It's okay. Let her go."

Shego spared only a glance – an icy glance – at Ron, and then looked at Kim, who was frowning resignedly, and walking up to the front door.

"It's okay, Shego", Kim said, "nothing to do with you. Well, not personally, anyway. I left her a voice-mail that I was lesbian. I thought... it would be best to just get it out and over with, y'know? I'll see what she wants."

Shego let her pass reluctantly.

----

Outside, Bonnie was pacing back and forth on the porch like a panther. She stopped when Kim appeared, and once the door closed behind her, grabbed Kim's shirt collar and dragged her out away from the apartment.

"What the _hell_ do you mean, 'I'm a lesbian, pass it on'. Who else have you told? Who else knows?", Bonnie asked in quick-fire order.

"Back off, Bonnie. I meant what I said", Kim replied, becoming incensed.

"Who else knows?", Bonnie asked again.

"I don't see how that's any of -", Kim started, but Bonnie cut her off.

" - my business. Oh, spare me. Next you'll be telling me how 'you don't have anything to be ashamed of', how you're 'proud to be gay', and, to top it all off, how you 'don't care what anybody thinks'. I've heard it all before. Now you tell me,_ who else have you told?" _

That startled Kim, because those _were_ exactly the things she was thinking. In fact, it startled her enough to answer the question.

"Uh, just my Mom, the guys in there... and you. Why?"

"Oh, fuck... fuck! You told BOYS?", she began pacing on the porch again, hands behind her back, as if trying to come up with a plan. Apparently, it wasn't working. "You told BOYS? You _IDIOT_! Now there'll be NO STOPPING it! They'll tell all -"

"Uh, Bonnie, I think it's safe with those particular 'boys'. We... we're all friends...", Kim said, not knowing whether she should let the other girl know about Josh and Ron's relationship. "In fact, I know it is. Why do you care, anyway?"

Bonnie was smoldering, and gave her a look that could melt steel: "You listen to me, Kim Possible. You _DO NOT_ want to come out in high school! You hear me! You _DO NOT_ want to come out in _high school_! Big Mistake, Kim. Mondo Huge Mistake. You _WILL_ regret it!"

Kim, not quite understanding, fell back on an easy defense, "I don't care what any -"

"OH GAWD! What did I tell you? I _said_ you'd say that, and there ya go, right on cue. GAWD Kim, I thought you were smarter than this...", Bonnie was nearly screaming, and yet it seemed as though she almost pitied Kim.

Kim was shaken by the tone in her voice, _What's going on here? What does she want?_

"Uh... Bonnie... what did you come here to tell me?", she asked.

Bonnie had calmed down a bit by now, she was no longer panting, but she hadn't resumed her normal "calculating bitch" expression either. Instead, she regarded Kim as a laboratory technician might regard a white mouse.

"Kim... What do our parents tell us high school is _not_?", she asked.

Kim thought. "Uhm, a fashion-show?"

"Good. What else? What about teachers... What do teachers say high school is _not_?", Bonnie went on.

"A popularity-contest", Kim answered.

"Excellent, Kim. Maybe we can get somewhere. Now, what, Kim, would you say high school _is_, for the most part, and leave the 'learning to be a better citizen' crap out. I'm not a college recruiter."

"Well...", Kim thought about it for several moments. "Well, a popularity-contest and a fashion show, mostly."

"Well, I'm glad to see that even straight-A people can have _some_ sense! And where, on the 'popularity' scale do _you _fit, Kim?"

Somewhat abashedly, Kim admitted, "Well... I'm pretty popular, I -"

"THE TOP, you idiot! You're at THE TOP of the popularity poll! Now, what's going to happen when you come out, Kim?"

Kim was speechless. Was it that she didn't know, or that she didn't want to think about it?

"I see the lights beginning to come on. You're getting it, now, aren't you... the bottom. That's where you'll be: the bottom of the pile. And it's not just because you're a Lesbian – it's because you WEREN'T, and then you WERE. It's all about distance. Anyway, that what you want, Miss I-don't-care-what-anyone-thinks?"

Kim remained speechless. Did she care, after all? _WAS_ she ashamed of her feelings for another girl... woman? And why did Bonnie, of all people...

"Bonnie... I... I thought you hated me...", Kim said softly, beginning to wonder if she'd been getting _everything_ wrong _all_ her life.

"I do. Know why?", Bonnie said cuttingly.

"Why?"

"Because you're one-lousy-fucking-step more popular than me. One. Oh, I can beat you in the fashion department, easy, but I just canNOT move up that final step, and out-popular you. It pisses me off! THAT is why I hate you! And you... you're not even TRYING! You're not even AWARE!"

Kim was so confused, she could barely think. "But... but then why... if that were true, you'd _want_ me to come out, wouldn't you? You'd be overjoyed to spread the news, wouldn't you? That's what I thought..."

"Kim", Bonnie sighed and sat on the fender of a parked car, "I don't hate _anyone_ enough to see them put through _that._" She paused to gather her thoughts. "I have a sister. Sharon. She's a junior at Rice now. She was a lot like you. Straight-A's. Captain of the cheer leading squad, even, just like you. Miss Popularity. _She_ came out her senior year, just like you. Said all the things you've just said."

Bonnie turned away from the gaping Kim, hiding her face.

"High school, Kim, is like this giant, white-hot... uh...", she faltered.

"_crucible', _Kim offered.

"Yeah, crucible. I don't know if that's how it's supposed to be, or how someone wanted it to be, but that's what it is. It's like they throw you in to see if you'll excel at the rat-race, or at least conform, or at least not rock the boat, or drop-out, or just plain crack up. The hardest time of our lives, when we're all trying to figure out _who we are_, and they throw us in the... crucible. I hate it. And I hate _them_ for doing it to us. It's not fair."

Bonnie sniffled. Kim couldn't believe the other girl was opening up like this. So the drama, and not in a good way.

Bonnie continued, "Anyway, after she came out, she cracked. Big time. She lost it all. She got stressed about her Popularity, so her grades slipped, she got stressed about_ that,_ and lost her girlfriend, big downhill slide, Kim. And she took it out on me. She took it out on her little sister, me. She was going to be an 'astrophysicist'. You know what an 'astrophysicist' does, Kim?"

"No..."

"Me neither, but it sounds important, and she used to _dream_ of being one. She was so excited about it... had her college all lined up at Rice and everything. Ivy-league. After she graduated, she went to State, not Rice. Talk about distance... It took her over a year to get herself back together."

Bonnie took a few deep breaths to clear her head, get back on track.

"Look, Kim. It's one year. It's your Senior year, your last year of high school. I'll tell you what Sharon told me: after you're out, whether you go to college or not, _no one is going to give a SHIT_ _about what you did in high school._ No one will care if you were captain of the cheerleaders. If you were Miss Popularity. If you were the misfit Lesbian with the Goth Girlfriend. They just won't care. No one will ask about it, ever. But while you're here, and while you have your position, you _keep it_, Kim! Play their game. Do what they expect. For one more year."

Bonnie seemed to have to run out of things to say.

"Anyway, don't ask me to spread the word about you. If it were Monique, or even Tara... well, they could probably get away with it. But you can't. It's not fair but that's not my fault. Anyway, I won't do it. I guess that's all I came to say..." She turned back toward the sidewalk, going in the direction of her car.

Still not recovered, Kim managed to say something she never thought she would, "Thank you, Bonnie." She meant it, too.

-----

Ron was up first, as usual – it was 7:30 am. _Ah, the best thing about being an early-bird: having the bathroom all to yourself._ And afterward, as usual again, he began cooking. Eggs Benedict, for a centerpiece, surrounded by the usual breakfast fare of sausage (Portugeuse), French toast (sour-dough), and bacon (Canadian). Anticipating Shego's needs (and she _was_ finally beginning to fill out), he made double everything.

The smell of Hollandaise Sauce woke up Josh, next, who also had the bathroom to himself the entire time he was in there. Afterwards, he and Ron exchanged a good-morning kiss, then Josh went about clearing off his paperwork from the table, making mental notes as he did so of areas that could still use definition or augmentation.

Shego and Kim, in the bedroom, awoke at the same time, probably due to all the clanking and banging going on in the kitchen. Neither being morning-people, they let each other have the bathroom to themselves first, then shared it for the rest of their morning grooming. They went to the kitchen in bathrobes, with their hair still wet.

As Shego entered, she winced at the simultaneous greeting from the boys: "Morning, Sunshine!". She and Kim shared the disdain of night-owls for morning-people, and only growled in response while taking their places at the table. Josh brought coffee, Ron brought food.

As Shego downed her cup, she noticed something; Ron had set the peanut-butter out next to her, butter-knife already stuck into it. It was such a small thing, but it actually brought a lump into her throat, and her eyes moistened. She had just realized, _this is how it's going to be. Me, Kim, Ron, Josh. This is how it's SUPPOSED to be... I've got a lot to learn, but it can't be wrong when it feels this right._ She kept staring at both boys when they weren't looking.

"So," Shego said tiredly, "what's on the agenda for today? More non-stop surprises, sun-up to sun-down?" It was a rhetorical question.

So it shouldn't have been surprising when no one answered. She finished spreading her peanut-butter and looked up. Apparently, she had been the only one interested in eating. Ron and Josh were looking at each other hungrily, and Kim... Kim was looking at her with a gleam in her clear green eyes. A gleam that made Shego shiver with anticipation. Perhaps breakfast could wait.

Kim got up to go back to the bedroom, Shego following in the fragrant wake of her still-wet hair. Ron and Josh took all of five steps from the kitchen(ette) into the living-room.

------

Kim/Shego/Josh: Wait, don't take that off! I want to do that...

Ron/Shego: Sit down...

Josh/Shego: Wait... wait... Wait! Heh, geez, I'm not goin' anywhere!

Kim/Shego: Not so hard... More lip, less tongue. And NO TEETH!

Ron/Josh: I dunno... I thought _you_ had it...

Kim: Shego... Shego... ShEGO... SHE... SH!... S!

Josh: Rah-un! Rah-un! Rah! ...!

Shego/Josh: Not yet. Let's just stay like this awhile...

Shego/Ron: What... what're you... Kim? (Josh?) KIM! (JOSH!) KI! (JO!) AH!

Kim/Ron: Roll (oof) over!

Kim/Shego: Left. MY left. Ok, up. More. Ah! Mmmmmm...

Ron/Josh/Kim/Shego: Did you hear that? Do you think they're...

Shego: Kimmmmmieeee... KiiiiIIIIiiiiIIIIiiiimmmmiiiiEEEE... KiiiiiIIIIIiiiimmMMMmiiIII...

Shego/Josh: Ready for the second show, Pumpkin (Ace)?

Kim/Ron: Wow. You really get into that, don't you... kinky!

Shego: Pumpkin... uh, okay now, Pump... Kim?... KIM! Oh!

Ron: Josh? Slow down Josh... Josh... JoSH JOSH! J-

Ron/Shego: Ow! What was_ that_ for?

Shego/Kim: Because pant I can't pant BREATHE! pant pant 

Kim/Ron/Josh/Shego: I love you, sweet-heart (Skeeter) (Ace) (Pumpkin).

-----

2 p.m.

Shego knocked on the wall in the hallway, before stepping out into the kitchen/living-room area.

"Guys? Are you decent?", she called.

She could hear giggling on the couch in response to the question, and then the rustle of clothing going on in a hurry. "Yeah. 'S ok. C'mon in, Shego", she heard Josh say.

Shego stepped into view, leading Kim by the hand behind her. Both girls were back into their bathrobes, their hair completely disheveled. Ron and Josh were in jeans and nothing else, apparently not even underwear, judging from the boxers on the recliner and tightie-whitie's on the floor. The four of them stared at each other for a moment, the novelty of the situation apparent to all.

Each of them struggled to find something pithy to say, but nothing came. Finally, Ron said, "Okaaaay. Awkward moment...", he glanced at the table, "... and cold food."

Josh took command, "Right. Ron, start heating things up. I'll clean things up in here. Girls, you get the bathroom first."

"That's okay, Josh", Kim said, "you guys can have the bathroom first. You don't have to be chivalrous _every_ time."

Ron chuckled, and they all looked at him expectantly. "Maybe not _every_ time, KP, but for now – please - allow us fags to be gracious to you dykes." He started giggling again.

It was contagious.

-----


	21. Chapter 21: Shego's Got a Gun

Ron chuckled, and they all looked at him expectantly. "Maybe not _every_ time, KP, but for now – please - allow us fags to be gracious to you dykes." He started giggling again.

It was contagious.

-----

The small-talk at dinner with Mrs. Possible had been congenial. Shego was on her best behavior, but everyone still kept an eye on her. She offered to help Kim's mom carry the plates to the kitchen, in preparation for desert, astounding everyone, especially Mrs. Anne Possible.

"That was astounding", Josh said. "I've _never_ had steak that good."

Anne said, "You can thank Ron. I just bought it, he cooked it. He's amazing, isn't he?"

Josh winked slyly at Ron, who blushed faintly, knowing everyone was staring at him. "Yeah, he is."

Kim and Shego pursed their lips to keep from giggling.

"Good thing we didn't go with Mom's first idea; tacos!", Kim said innocently.

Shego dropped a saucer, and it shattered on the cement porch. Everyone's eyes went to her.

"You okay, Shego?", Kim asked.

Shego had a hard time answering, she was so ready to burst out laughing. "Uh.. uh, yeah... Uh, just lemme get these into, uh..." She looked up to see if anyone else had caught the connection, but no one seemed to be smiling.

Except Mrs. Possible, whose face had an odd pinched expression, as she was having to force herself not to smile, all the harder knowing someone else had got the connection. "Let me help you with those, dear", she said, taking some of the stack out of Shego's arms. Shego followed her into the kitchen, away from Kim and the boys.

Shego was trying desperatly to take her mind off what was so funny. "I'm sorry, Anne... just clumsy, I guess..."

But Mrs. Possible, after sitting down the stack of dishes she was carrying, and still with that strange, pinched look, only looked Shego in the eye and said, flatly but full of meaning, "Tacos."

When the others came into the kitchen a few moments later to see what the _hell_ was going on in there, they found Mrs. Possible barely able to hold herself up by holding onto the counter, while Shego was actually rolling on the floor, both of them still laughing so hard they didn't even notice the intrusion.

-----

Shego got an advance on her first paycheck, and was able to get her own apartment, sparsely-furnished with rented furniture. No TV, no dishes, no bookcases... but a two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a couch, a recliner, and a double-bed. It was only a short walk from the apartment they'd been borrowing.

Showing them around with a little embarrassment – what was there to show? - she finally took what she considered to be The Plunge:

"Kim, here's a key", she said, which was the easy part. It went without saying that Kim would get a key, after all. The hard part was this: "Guys... if you laugh at me, I'll... I'll get you for it. I don't know how, but I'll get you. Here. _Mi casa es su casa_", she handed a key to each of them. "Sorry your bedroom is so bare... y'know, what with deposits, utilities, an all, I just couldn't afford -"

She was cut off by simultaneous hugs from both boys. Afterwards, they both stood back, smiling at her, but Shego had to look away, embarrassed by her own generosity.

Kim said, "So Josh. When's Todd due back?"

"Couple more weeks. Unless he gets extended... he has been known to be gone for up to two months at a time."

"Do you think it'd be okay if we, uh, borrowed a few things? Like a the entertainment center, maybe...", she shyly eyed Ron and Josh, standing together, "the bed... some linens... dishes..."

Josh sighed. "Might be okay. But I've got a TV at home in my bedroom. I'll bring it. Stereo, too. Well, boom-box, anyway."

Ron added, "I know where I can get some dishes and stuff. Cookware, too, and -"

"I'll do the linens and towels, sheets, blankets...", Kim broke in.

Shego felt herself start to tear up, and excused herself for the master bathroom. Once she got there, she hollered through the door, "TOILET PAPER!"

By the end of the day, Shego's new apartment was livable. By the next morning, it had been lived in.

-----

"I WILL _NOT_ carry that thing! They're disgusting!", Shego told Dr. Director. She placed the gun on her desk. Going through the chain of command, she'd finally ended up here – it had taken all morning, but Shego had remained steadfast. Guns were beneath her. There was no honor in guns. Any idiot could fire a gun.

"Ms. Go," the Director began, supremely calm, "what is the first rule of Martial Arts?"

"'Use greater force against itself'", Shego replied, not seeing any connection.

"Excellent. Now, what's the first rule of a gun-fight?", she asked.

"I don't know and I don't -"

"It's '_Bring a Gun_', Ms. Go. And more generally, the rule-of-thumb for _any_ kind of fight, is 'don't bring a knife to a gun-fight'."

"I don't need it. I can -", but again, Shego was cut off.

"You have fast reflexes, I hear. Can you dodge a bullet? They generally travel around 450 feet per second. More to the point, that's 10 feet in 1/45th of a second. What can you do in 1/45th of a second, Ms. Go?", Dr. Director asked coldly.

Shego couldn't answer. That was fast... a tenth of a second, she might be able to handle, but a forty-fifth? "It's not that simple. I'm smart enough to stay out of situations where -"

"Perhaps you are, when you get to choose your 'situations'. But you don't, anymore, you see. _I_ choose your battles now, Ms. Go. And you will find your opponents somewhat more... resourceful, than what you're used to", Dr. Director turned back to the papers on her desk. "Take it, Ms. Go. You will need it." Dr. Director seemed to be thinking something, and looked up at Shego again, "By the way, you'll be going to Hong Kong in a month. Better brush-up on your Chinese. You are dismissed."

Shego looked at the pistol on the desk. It was a compensated, black, high-capacity .45 auto, government model. She thought it was the ugliest thing she'd ever seen. Plus, it was HUGE! How was THAT going to be concealed in her skin-tight suit?

Knowing she'd been dismissed, Shego spoke with some trepidation, "Dr. Director. May I at least be given something... smaller?"

The director sighed. "Ask D for a three-eighty PPK instead. Perhaps it will be more to your liking. Just don't ask him to put pearl handles on it - he gets really pissed when you do that - I should know." She looked back down at her papers and smiled to herself.

"Thank you, Dr. Director", Shego said.

The Director just waved her off, intent on the folder in front of her.

After Shego closed the door behind her, the Director picked up the phone and punched in three numbers.

"It's me. I think we'd better bring in Mr. Mankey. Yes. I know, but I think his... talent... will be needed; as an organization we sorely lack that particular skill. See to it. I know, but it's been my experience that extra-ordinary people tend to cluster together, even if their skills are disparate. Log-Ops. Oh, and you might want to accelerate the usual course-work by, say, a factor of 5? Yes, he is. From what I've been told, yes, he can. Thank you."

-----

"Eight HOURS! You're supposed to be there for EIGHT HOURS a day, seven days a week?", Ron was angry – his whole summer was going to be ruined if Josh was going to have to spend every day, every _single_ day at the GJ.

"Only for a few weeks, Ron. Look, I'm sorry about this. But really, in the long run, you and I will be able to work together and -", Josh tried to explain.

"I don't _CARE_ about the long run!", Ron fumed. "What I _care_ about is... we've been seeing each other what, three weeks? Four? I'm just getting used to... I mean, I'm just now getting the hang of... _being_ with someone! And in three more weeks summer will be _over_! Then it's back to school, no more hanging out here every day, and I'll have to start watching what I say and do all the _damn_ time..." Ron paused for breath. This was all _so _the drama... just when things were going _so_ good, between him and Josh, Kim and Shego... everybody!

"Wait a minute", Ron said suddenly, "You don't work for the GJ. In fact, you're a _minor_, so they can't make you do anything! You... you _volunteered_ for this?", Ron asked incredulously.

Josh took his time. He was not feeling as confident in himself as he was known to seem. "Look, Ron... You and Kim are basically 'Team Possible'. You've got a list of accomplishments as long as my arm. And so does Shego, even if maybe those accomplishments are on the wrong side. And now you, Kim, and Shego are like... a new Team or something and I'm... I'm still just Josh."

"But -", Ron began to complain.

"Listen to me. The Director said they needed me. Besides that, she said _you_, the three of _you_ needed me. _NEEDED_ me, Ron! Like I could be _one of you_. What was I supposed to say? 'No, thanks, ma'am, it might interfere with my sex-life'? C'mon. Kim has her martial-arts, Shego does too, plus super-powers besides, and you have... well, she couldn't exactly say what you have – or wouldn't – but whatever it is, you're on the Team. And I'm not", he turned away from his freckled blonde boyfriend. "I really respect you guys for the stuff you do. I just want... I _need _you to respect me, too."

Ron took a deep breath, and embraced Josh from behind, resting his chin on Josh's shoulder. After awhile, he said "Okay. You don't _need_ to earn my respect, Josh... but I think I can understand feeling like you do. As Kim's 'sidekick', I've been there. Go be a... uh, what is it they want you for, anyway?"

"Logistical Operations."

"... which means...", Ron wanted to know.

"I have no idea. She said it was like chess, so I said I'd do it."

"Uhm", Ron had never released his embrace. Being rather distracted, he just said "Uhm" again, and nuzzled the nape of the other boy's neck. He was still rather distracted – and getting more so by the second – when the door opened.

"Shego!", both boys said at almost the same time, trying hard to look like they hadn't been doing anything. But Shego only laughed.

"You guys are as bad as we are, aren't you?", she said putting groceries down on the counter. Kim was following behind with her arms full as well.

Josh was looking at her funny. "Shego... did you, uh... did you change?"

Before she could answer, Ron said, "I thought it was _my_ job to buy the groceries! God knows what kind of junk the two of you bought..." He began rifling through the bags making grunting noises of disapproval.

Shego replied sarcastically, "When there's no groceries AT ALL, I figured even us amateurs could pick out a _few_ basic things. Change how, Josh?" She was watching Ron with an amused look.

Josh was puzzled, and glad no one was looking at him. "Uh... Nothing. So, where did the two of you go, then?", he asked, trying to sound casual.

Kim answered for her, "You know. Mall. Supermarket. Secret Lesbian Store. The usual."

"Ah.", Josh said. That wasn't right, and Josh knew it. He'd seen Shego at the GJ building only an hour ago. Something was wrong. The question was, whether to confront her about it, or inform the others – well, Ron anyway – secretly. He weighed the options, trying to imagine what might happen, if various things turned out to be true, in each scenario. It only took a second - an observer wouldn't have noticed anything odd in Josh's behavoir.

"Shego, I just saw you at the GJ, and wearing your green-and-black, uh, wetsuit or whatever. What's going on?".

Everyone looked at him, shocked. Kim was looking back and forth between her and Josh, as if wondering who to believe, her own eyes, or Josh's story. She – indeed, they all - had learned to pay attention when Josh made a flat-out statement.

Shego sighed. She'd been afraid of this, since she'd learned that he'd be going there that morning for another interview with Dr. Director.

"What you saw was Sheaghen. A syntho-drone copy of me Dr. D made as a lab-assistant."

Kim said, "... and you didn't think that was something we would want to know? You told me – us – about Drakken, and left out the little part about a robot-copy of you?"

"It's not that simple, Kim. She... it... no, she, has my personality, too. She got it from the Compliance Chip that was on me. I mean, she acts _exactly_ like me... it's... weird...", Shego explained.

"So why didn't you tell us about her?", Kim still wanted to know.

"Uh... well... she acts _exactly_ like I do, Kim. I thought... maybe... I didn't think it would be good if you were to meet."

"Because?"

"Look, I don't know how much of me is in her, but I do know it's a lot. More than I would have imagined. I fell in love – well, lust - with you at first sight, like Ron said... what if she...", Shego paused, wondering if she were just being stupid, silly, or jealous.

Kim chuckled, "You were afraid a syntho-drone would get the hots for _me_?" The chuckle turned into an outright laugh. The boys were chuckling too, now.

Shego frowned. She was not used to being laughed at. "Let me put it this way: she enjoys tormenting people with snide remarks, she can apparantly over-ride Dr. D's programming, and she steals from his piggy-bank."

Everyone stopped laughing at once.

"'Nuff said?", Shego asked, one eyebrow arched.

-----

A month later.

Josh was talking into his very own Communicator, "Yeah. Yeah, Wade but it's the best I can do. I don't think Shego _had_ any more to tell me! And frankly, she was getting pissed at me asking all the time."

Wade was punching his keyboard at the same time he was talking, as usual. "Okay, but according to my calculations, it's gonna take...", the boy-genius paused, waiting on his computer, "700 hours to crank this through. It's too sparse, there are too many variables. We need serious iron for this. Like Deep Blue or something... and Deep Blue costs fifteen thousand dollars a _minute_."

Josh sighed. "Can you work up an estimate for me, Wade? I'll present it to the Director. Maybe we'll get the money. I think this is important."

"Can-do, Skeeter", Wade said absent-mindedly, already working on it.

Josh did a double-take. _"_Uh... 'Skeeter'?"

Wade actually looked away from his terminal, blushing a little, "Oh. Uh... you really should learn to turn your Communicator's mic off..."

Josh rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling. "Goodbye, Wade", he said, breaking the connection. Where _was_ that button, anyway?

-----


	22. Chapter 22: Ko

Wade actually looked away from his terminal, blushing a little, "Oh. Uh... you really should learn to turn your Communicator's mic off..."

Josh rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling. "Goodbye, Wade", he said, breaking the connection. Where _was_ that button, anyway?

-----

While Kim, Josh, and Ron returned to the routine of High School, Shego was off by herself in Hong Kong, staying at the GJ compound there. The compound was sparse, industrial, bleak, and the rooms were tiny. Furthermore, there was only _one_ bathroom for each floor of the building. Well, one ladie's bathroom, anyway. The men had two. The food sucked, as well. Basically, everything about the Hong Kong GJ safe-house sucked.

Her job was to guard the Venzuelan Oil Minister, while he was there attending a top-level meeting with the Chinese government and several other oil-producing countries.

_GUARD!_, she thought. _All my abilities, everything I've been through, and I'm a fuckin' GUARD? And to do it, I have to live like THIS! At least in my own apartment I have Ron cooking for me! And Kim..._

But it didn't bear thinking about for too long. She'd chosen this course... so she had to be away from her Pumpkin for awhile. Back in the World, she could go out with her in public, something she'd have never been able to do without the Director's... parole_. Win some, lose some._

Stepping out to go to the cafeteria, she checked her in-box for messages. Nothing electronic, but rather an actual box, marked "Shego", stacked along with a dozen other boxes for various agents on various assignments. She kept hoping for a letter from Kim... an actual, paper, physical letter. The e-mails were nice... but it would have been nice to have something solid to hold on to, for a change. Something that smelled like her.

Instead, there was an envelope marked Telegram. _Telegram? Do they even HAVE those anymore?_ It was signed by "Dr. Director". And apparently she had pre-paid for her a room at the Hong Kong Hilton. With an open room-service tab! _I take back half the things I've said about you! Oh, thank you for getting me out of here!_

The Hong-Kong Hilton was plushness and extravagance galore. Subdued, indirect lighting, hardwood everything, polished surfaces everywhere. Her room sported a fully-stocked bar, a jacuzzi tub, a king-size bed, leather furnishings... even a massage-table; the kind with a hole where one's head goes, so one can breathe while lying face-down. Doubtless there were masseurs – and masseuses – around, for hire. _THIS_ _is more like it! THIS is what I'm used to! THIS is what I've been missing..._ Because, she had to face it, being a poor working-stiff sucked. Pumpkin or no Pumpkin.

Apparently a masseuse was part of the deal, because that evening, one knocked on her door, ever so gently. An exquisitely beautiful black/Asian woman, with chocolate skin and slightly almond-shaped eyes, walked into Shego's room, her silk robe alternately tightening and loosening on the features of her lush body. She said her name was "Ko".

-----

_Lee never smiled to himself, but if there had ever been a time he'd wanted to, it was now. All the pieces were fitting into place, the seven seals were happening just as they should, and at the time of HIS choosing. His tool, Shego, had been most useful in that endeavor, until her heart had gotten the better of her. It wasn't unexpected - in fact, it had been planned. Preparing the way for the Fifth Seal had been a little more difficult, but His true genius lay in setting the stage for each prophecy to ignite the next. It was time to bring Shego back into the picture, to finish what she had started._

_And to do that was going to require the weapons he reserved for special occasions._

_One of those weapons was named "Ko"._

_Ko was one of ten "Slics" - and there were only ever ten in the world, at one time. Always five male, five female. All of them worked for Lee. To call them "prostitutes" would be like calling what happened at Bikini a "large firecracker". The Slics were the Samauri warriors of the sex-trade, but their services were not intended for pleasure... their employer had other things in mind. Trained since childhood, they continued training all their working lives, learning the psychological art of sex as well as the physical. _

_Furthermore, Ko was one of only two Sapphic Slics. A specialty that had been chosen for her because she WASN'T lesbian. She could keep her mind clear, when "working" with other women._

_And the first thing her training taught her – indeed, the first thing ALL Slics were taught – was to disconnect the body from the mind. Because the body was a tool. Facial expressions were a tool. Her voice was a tool. Her words were a tool. The way she walked, breathed, blinked her eyes... every outward thing she did, under any circumstances, was calculated to have the desired effect, whether she knew she was being watched or not. Ko didn't know the meaning of the word "privacy", because to her, the only privacy was that within her mind._

_Slics did not enjoy sex, anymore than a martial artist actually enjoys breaking a stack of boards. It wasn't the act, it was the pride in the skill involved. That was what Slics lived for: to perfect themselves in their work. To be proud of their work. To make their Master proud._

_And to have attained her status as a fully-trained, working Slic - at the age of 19 - meant that Ko had good reason to be proud._

_-----_

As soon as Shego had gone to the bathroom to change into a robe, Ko turned up the room's thermostat to 90F. Then, after Shego was settled – naked and face-down- on the massage-table, she had oiled and pressed and massaged her back, butt, legs, and feet. That was just to get her relaxed. The real work didn't come until she asked Shego to turn over. Starting at the feet, this time, Ko straddled Shego on the table and worked her oily way up Shego's lithe green body, using generous amounts of the warm oil - Jojoba oil; unscented, so as not to interfere with Ko's own fragrances.

She paid special attention to Shego's breasts, setting up for what she had planned. Shego still believed Ko was just a professional masseuse, just doing her job. She tried to think of Kim...

But it wasn't working. The black oriental girl was _so_ good, everywhere she touched seemed to come alive, and the smell – she couldn't quite place the scent - of her long, silky-black hair was intoxicating. Finally, Ko carefully applied the oil to Shego's face, stretching and pulling at muscles that no one, ever, had stretched and pulled before. And lastly, she began to work with the green woman's hair, by covering her own hands in oil and then running them through Shego's black mane. In doing so, she let her own hair – just the ends – brush against Shego's breasts. Shego had a lot of hair, getting it all oiled up took long time, and all during that time, Ko's hair brushed gently up, down, and side to side, on her victim's breasts and nipples.

By the time Ko was running through the ends of Shego's locks - having to reach _way_ over Shego's head to do it, thus ensuring that their two pairs of nipples made just the lightest of contact - Shego had no will-power left at all. She let Ko do whatever she wanted. She forgot about Kim.

In return, Shego was treated to... 5? 8?... she didn't know how many orgasms. It may have just been one continuous one, for all she could tell, the pleasure the other girl was giving broke over her like long, slow waves and shimmering surf. They 69'ed. They 99'ed. They dove-tailed. Ko was holding nothing back, using all her tricks. When one of Shego's erogenous zones became too sensitive to touch, Ko would just exploit another one, often one Shego hadn't known existed. Behind her knees. The insides of her elbows. Under her arms, next to the breasts. It was indescribable.

Ko had been given instructions to get Shego addicted to her in the space of one night. That was a tricky operation, even for a Slic. It required the utmost finesse and concentration, a true test of her skill. She'd done it before, but never in just one night. So far, though, so good. She had established - with what she was sure Shego thought of as "mutual consent" - her mastery of Shego's body. But to accomplish this mission - to ensure that next morning the victim wouldn't just wonder if it had all been a dream - she was going to have to plant a few thoughts in this green-girl's mind.

Several hours later, as they showered together washing off the oil, Ko began inserting her time-bombs.

"Do you have a girl-friend back home?", Ko asked, a hand between Shego's legs. She needed to keep Shego just stimulated enough to be unable to think straight.

Shego shivered as Ko's soapy bosom pressed and slid against her own. "Yes...", she whispered, "Kim... we... oh..."

Ko pulled Shego's hair back and whispered directly into her ear, using more breath than necessary, "If she's your lover, she must be very beautiful... I would like to meet her, sometime." Ko paused, using all her senses to gauge the other girl's reaction. She stepped up her stimulation a bit more; "Do you think that could happen?"

Shego could only nod "yes", and even that only slightly. Ko was keeping her just below the line where pleasure turns to pain now.

"I think we could have fun together, _the three of us_", she whispered again, releasing Shego into yet another orgasm.

-----

Will Du didn't say anything about Shego being 6 hours late for her watch. She began to apologize, but he cut her off curtly.

"I only have 6 hours to eat, get cleaned up, and sleep. I _will_ be back here for my next watch." With that, he opened the unmarked car door and stepped out, leaving Shego fairly drowning in guilt.

Finally, on watch, she had time to think about what had happened... the room Dr. Director had got her, the masseuse: Ko...

She hadn't known sex could be like that. That it could be a world unto itself, a timeless, scented world of such... _intensity_... She thought of Ko's naked body, and found herself becoming aroused again, just as if she hadn't had an orgasm in months. The girl was – _incredible_. She hadn't _KNOWN_ it could be like that!

She thought about Kim. Their love-making was... just did not compare to Ko's. Compared to what she and Ko had done, it was clumsy and slow with Kim. They had to keep telling each other what felt good and what didn't, interrupting the feelings of the moment with words, trying to find positions that would work, and then trying to become comfortable enough in those positions to be able to stay like that for as long as it took. It was actually kind of exhausting... poor Kim...

Kim! What was she going to do about Kim! She'd... She'd CHEATED on the love of her life! What could she do? She couldn't tell her – she wouldn't understand. She didn't know how it was.. how it could be. Shego opened her Communicator and automatically brought up a blank e-mail to Ron, instinctively thinking that he would know what to do, that _he_ would forgive her, anyway, and perhaps be able to handle Kim. He was her Best Friend. Maybe he could... She typed in two words:

"Ron, please", and stopped, as something else occurred to her.

What was it Ko had said in the shower? That they could be a threesome? Shego smiled at that thought, now becoming even more aroused than she'd been before. It would be the best of both worlds, being with Ko and Kim at the same time. It would be... _perfect_. And Kim would go for it, too, once she understood what Ko could do... This idea displaced any guilty thoughts Shego might have had about "cheating" on her red-headed teenage lover, and instead all she could think about was the things they might do together; her, Ko, and Kim.

Ko's mission had been accomplished.

Shego absent-mindedly closed the Communicator case with one hand, as her other hand slid between her legs to further her own pleasure. As it closed, the cover came down on her little-finger, pressing it on the "send" button.

-----

That night, Ko was waiting for Shego in the lobby of the Hilton. Shego managed, just barely, to keep her hands off her until they were alone in the elevator, and by the time they'd reached their floor, Shego had half-undressed the girl, and Ko had completely un-buttoned Shego's blouse.

Shego pulled her, running, to her room, and searched her own pockets in near-panic for her key-card before they could go in. Once they were in, Shego pinned her against the back of the door with the most passionate kiss she'd ever given, to anyone, anywhere.

Ko pushed her back, firmly but slowly, so as not to break the spell.

"I wonder if you'd do something for me... please?", she said.

The "something" was a theft. Shego was to steal a gold cigarette-case from the room of the Oil Minister of Venezuela. It was a nothing job... the kind of job that Lee used to give her, and she _did_ make that connection, but she refused to think about it. All Shego's attempts to get information from the girl were fruitless. More than that, they were a waste of time. Time that should have been spent in bed, or on the floor, or on the kitchen counter, or in the shower... Shego's mind couldn't stop wandering, all she really cared about was having sex with this incredibly sexy and beautiful dark girl... anything that got in the way was just an obstacle to that. An obstacle to be removed.

So she did it, just to get Ko to stop asking and start kissing.

Ko took a single cigarette from the case when Shego returned with it, less than half an hour later, and gave the case back. She giggled. "Now you can take it back, Shego. Thank you. These are _really_ good cigarettes!" Seeing the look of near-rage, near-desperation in Shego's eyes, she added, "I'm sorry to be so tricky to you, darling... I'm just _so_ mean! I'll make it up to you. Now hurry, before he misses it!"

Shego returned the cigarette-case where she'd gotten it.

Ko smoked the cigarette and stubbed it out in an ashtray while Shego prepared herself in the bathroom. Then she set the ashtray outside the hotel-room door, and refreshed her memory of Shego's particular sexual buttons and levers, preparing for the night.

Ko "made it up" to Shego in spades.

In the hallway outside, a non-descript looking maid picked up the ashtray, carefully setting it on her cart of linens and towels. She did not empty it, but took it away just as she'd found it.

-----

Author's Note:

Big thanks to Pwn Master Paladin for advice on the Biblical bits of this story. Without it, the over-arcing story-around-the-story would never have happened, or, if it had, it would have been El Lame-Oh.


	23. Chapter 23: Used Again

In the hallway outside, a non-descript looking maid picked up the ashtray, carefully setting it on her cart of linens and towels. She did not empty it, but took it away just as she'd found it.

-----

Ron finally found her at the compound, going through her hard-copy messages in the cafeteria.

Getting out of school hadn't been easy. Coming here without Kim or Josh hadn't been easy. Persuading the Director to even _get _himhere hadn't been easy, either. But the evening he got the e-mail from Shego, "Ron, please", he knew he had to come. _HAD_ to come, and _HAD_ to come _NOW!_ It was strange how he'd felt that way... based on a two-word e-mail, he couldn't wait for Kim to come back from her away-game, and _didn't_ want Josh to put off what he was doing with Wade, and so he came alone.

The Director had been hardest to convince. _I can't believe I used the 'F' word in front of Dr. Director!_, he thought. But when he had, she'd looked at him funny, tapped each of her fingers – just once – on her desk, and made the call. Only a commercial flight, nothing super-sonic, but still, for her to do that just because he had a _feeling_ was pretty incredible.

So now he looked at Shego, in her undercover clothes (_I'm GREEN! How undercover do you think I can get!_), as she calmly paged through her hard-copies, wadding them up one by one to throw away, he wondered what the deal had been. Perhaps his feelings were wrong.

"Shego?"

Her motions abruptly stopped, and she seemed, from the back, to be frozen.

"Stoppable", she finally said without turning around. She got up from her chair to face him. "What brings you to this neighborhood?" Suddenly, a worried look flashed across her face, "And... are you... did you come alone?"

_'Stoppable', again, is it? _Ron thought. _Something IS wrong here!_

"Yeah, it's just me... everyone else was... busy", he said cautiously. "Shego... _comrade, _what's going on?"

Shego was visibly taken aback at the word _comrade_, but she seemed to regain her composure almost immediately.

"Perhaps we should talk about it in my room", she offered, and began leading the way through the long, deserted corridors.

Ron was trying to decide if he should make small talk of some sort, feel her out... because something was decidedly strange here.

"So, what's your mission here, anyway? Since I'm here, I guess it's okay to tell me, now. Besides, you said it would only last a week. Ought to be just about over..."

But the rookie GJ agent didn't seem interested, "Well talk in my room. It'll be... safer", she said cryptically.

Once in her room, with the door closed, she faced him and began speaking directly: "Why are you here, Stoppable?"

"You sent me an e-mail. Remember?", he said, not giving too much away, for now.

"I did no such thing."

"Check your log. You did. Is... is there a problem, me being here?", he asked.

Shego considered the question. "Maybe. Depends on you, I guess." In the back of her mind, Shego wondered why she was behaving this way – like Ron was the enemy. _Ah, of course. Because he'll resist the idea of me adding Ko to our little "group". Well, fuck, who needs him and his gay lover anyway... I must remember to get my keys back from them, when I – when WE – get back._ She decided to tell Ron what was going on, after all. Perhaps he'd clear his stuff out of her life before she returned with Ko, sparing her at least _that_ bit of awkwardness.

"I've met someone. Her name's Ko. I'll be bringing her back with me, and the three of us are going to live together. I'm afraid you and Josh will have to move out."

Ron was aghast. "Uh... the '_three_' of us?"

"Me, Ko, and Kim, idiot. Count 'em. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a dinner-date, as of five minutes ago."

Ron was still standing just inside the door, blocking it.

"I said, 'excuse me', Stoppable", Shego glared.

Looking into the deep green eyes staring at him from behind all that black-purple hair, Ron saw something. It reminded him of when he and Kim had surprised her in the parking-lot of Bueno Nacho, and yet it was different. There was one way in which it was the same: something had happened to Shego. Not the _same_ thing, but _some_thing.

"Shego... can we talk for awhile? Just... a few minutes? I'd like to know what's been happening while you've been here. I... I think it's important that we talk...", Ron stammered, realizing it stood almost _no_ chance of working.

"Later. Get out of my way, Stoppable", she took a step forward.

"No. Now, Shego", Ron answered back. Would Shego fight with him over this? Because if she did, he stood no chance of winning. His only option was to bluff, and he didn't have a lot to bluff with.

Shego's eyes narrowed and Ron instinctively went into his stance. She lashed out with a left-right combo, easily blocked, even by him. A round-house followed, and Ron – still easily – got out of it's way. They were only warning-shots, Shego's way of telling him that more would be coming.

He remained in front of the door.

More came.

Ron had learned a lot in the last year - and even more in the previous month, sparring with the very woman he was fighting now - and Shego still hadn't managed to actually land a blow on him, but it was taking every bit of Ron's skill to prevent it. Good thing she wasn't mad enough to use her plasma. He would stand _no_ chance against that.

Shego managed to get one of her legs behind his before he could move out of the way, and she spun him around to face the door, following that with exactly the same move, again, to spin him right back where he was. By the time Ron had figured out which way he was facing now, he realized that Shego had place the palm of one hand against his forehead.

"Good night, sweet prince", she said, and then zapped him, hard. Ron crumpled to the floor.

Shego kicked him out of the way of the door, opened it, and left.

It was a rainy evening outside, as Shego made her way to the hotel. Down here at sea-level, that meant it was also incredibly humid, and steam rose from the streets that had been sun-baked only hours earlier. She wasn't actually late for her date – that had just been an excuse – so she stopped into a pub, one of the left-overs of British ownership of the city, for a drink.

It was called the "Occidental" pub, for some reason... perhaps to distinguish it from "Oriental"? And it featured a dartboard, walnut bar, and posters for English ales. She sat at the bar and ordered a Guinness. The real stuff, not that "draft" crap the Americans liked. She pulled over a bowl of crackers in order to have something that needed to be washed down. If only they'd had some cheese, or peanut-butter...

_Peanut-butter... _the mundane image of a plastic jar of Jif, with a butter-knife sticking out of it, appeared in her mind.

_... this is how it's going to be. This is how it's SUPPOSED to be. Me, Kim, Ron, Josh. It can't be wrong..._

_WHAT HAVE I DONE!_

-----

It took Deep Blue all of 15 minutes to churn through Wade and Josh's data. The IBM techs were amazed. Because this was strictly number-crunching – there was no data-retrieval lag time. All the data could fit into it's memory at once. So for the world's fastest super-computer to take a quarter-hour of solid processing time was... unprecedented.

At the GJ's computer-lab, Josh and Wade looked at the results. Obviously, there wasn't going to be a simple answer. Josh sighed, this was going to take awhile, and he really wished he could have gone to Hong Kong with Ron. _Well, might as well get started..._ he thought, and uncapped an erasable pen to begin marking up the white-board walls.

An hour – and 3 walls – later, Josh stepped back to look at his handiwork. Wade was making a run to the vending machines. He'd finally settled on a way to display the results graphically. With axes labeled Area of Damage, Impact, and No. Victims (the third axes was imaginary, sticking out of and into the wall), he'd drawn a maze of circles, arrows, diamonds and – perhaps due to his lack of familiarity with the Greek alphabet – hearts, moons, and clovers. Minuscule labels next to each symbol held data about it. But it was a mish-mash. It made absolutely no sense.

Josh sat down and leaned back in the chair, yawning. Still looking at the walls with his eyes squinted shut, the labels and lines blurred into the background, leaving only the shapes themselves.

And without that distraction, he finally saw it. His eyes almost popped out of his head, and he fell over in the chair.

It was like an Escher print, or a fractal. Repeating patterns, like tiles that fit into each other, the spaces in between being part of yet _another_ pattern, also fitting into each other. The pattern repeated at a smaller scale. The pattern repeated at a greater scale. In fact, the WHOLE pattern _could_ be part of an even greater pattern, one that would have covered the ceiling and floor. And, extending the dimensions, the pattern could be...

Josh closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. This was no time for theoretical notions of universality. What could it tell him about what was happening _now_?

Looking at the walls – at what would, in later years, be known as the first "Mankey Diagram" - through new eyes, he could see missing parts; holes in the pattern. And other parts that didn't line up _quite_ right. If only he could fill in...

Wade returned with two Diet Dr. Peppers and 4 bags of Funions. "Okay, before you complain, Funions were all that was left. So it was either this or Life-Savers. I made a command-decision for the Funions, and I take full responsibility."

"Wade!", Josh yelled excitedly, startling the poor fat (but getting slimmer) boy, "You had a program that categorized news stories, didn't you? That Ron asked you to make?"

"Yeah... haven't used it for awhile, I kinda blew it off eventually..."

"Well, uh, blow it back on. I wanna know news stories with global impact, thousands – no, _millions - _of lives potentially at stake, and... uh... maximally disastrous. How long?"

Wade thought about it. "Probably on the order of a minute. Give or take half a minute."

"Do it! I gotta go see the Director!", and Josh was out the door.

Wade watched the door gently, pneumatically, close. "Why, yes sir!", he said to himself out loud and sarcastically, but still only joking, "Anything for a bud..."

For Josh, the flight to Hong Kong _was_ aboard a super-sonic aircraft.

-----

Ron was still lying right where Shego had left him, so she picked him up gently and laid him out on the bed. She had zapped him pretty hard, she estimated he'd be out for a good 6 hours, at the least. She propped his head on a pillow, took off his boots, undid his belt, covered him with a blanket... she did everything she could _think_ of, until finally there was nothing left to do.

She stood in the far corner and sank down to the floor, her knees to to her chin, her arms wrapping around her legs, and she cried.

She had been _so_ close! She had had everything she'd ever wanted, _really_ wanted, for a month, and then she'd thrown it away. For a good time. For a good Lesbian fuck. For Ko.

And what was so great about Ko, anyway? She was skilled. She knew how to push Shego's buttons. _Boy, did she._

Well, hell, Kim would learn, eventually. Just as she would learn – was learning - Kim's turn-ons. They had already made quite a lot of progress... the sex with Kim now was an order-of-magnitude better than it had been that first night. For both of them. It was a mutual -

With the thought of that single word – _mutual_ - something occurred to Shego that made her face burn with rage: She had never even _needed_ to learn Ko's buttons, because she'd never had to _DO_ anything _TO_ the girl! The things she _had_ done, had been for her _own_ thrill only! She'd never had to worry about trying to thrill - or get off, or even turn-on - Ko! Because Ko didn't need it. Because Ko was – basically – a machine. A human vibrator. A sex-toy. Nothing "mutual" about it! SHE HAD BEEN USED!

_AGAIN_!

Even worse and if possible, more unbelievable: _SHE HAD KNOWN IT!_

_-----_

Bonnie surprised Kim on the bus-ride home by sitting next to her. She didn't even so much glance at the red-head though, pretending to survey the seating arrangements instead. For a long time, they didn't speak, although the rest of the bus was full of chatter.

Eventually, she said, non-commit ally, "So, how's it going?"

Not sure if Bonnie was referring to _that_ night, she said "Fine, I guess..."

"Decided to take my advice?", Bonnie asked.

"For now", Kim replied, looking at the other girl from the corners of her eyes.

"Good. Look... I'm sorry if I came on a little strong, uh", she looked around to see if anyone was listening to them, but decided to keep speaking in code anyway, "that day."

"'S okay. I guess... well, maybe you were right. I don't know...", Kim sighed. "Seems like I've been wrong about a lot of things, lately."

"Yeah? Well, you're doin' good, Kim. Keep it up." Bonnie got up to take the empty space next to Brick.

-----


	24. Chapter 24: Hazel

"Yeah? Well, you're doin' good, Kim. Keep it up." Bonnie got up to take the empty space next to Brick.

-----

_The Chinese Secretary of the Interior was found assassinated in his hotel room, apparently by a single small-caliber shot to the head. In the room was found an ashtray with a stubbed-out butt in it. Odd, because the Secretary didn't smoke. The cigarette turned out to be custom-made. A special-order blend for the Venezuelan Oil Minister._

_Tension between the oil-hungry China and oil-rich Venezuela reached a new, all-time high. The rest of the world, producers as well as consumers, kept their fingers crossed. 15 of the world's oil-supply came from the small South-American country, and almost all of that came from one place within it: Lake Maracaibo. Disruption of that flow could easily double crude prices around the globe, by the time the speculators got through jacking up the market. The consequences of THAT could escalate unbelievably quickly. No nation in the world was more than three meals away from revolution._

_Lake Maracaibo was very much like an industrial version of hell on earth. The entire lake was covered with a sheen of spilled oil, chunks of tar, and a mix of other petro-chemicals used in the drilling industry. The derricks and platforms were constructed cheek-by-jowl next to each other, the only object: to get as MUCH oil out as FAST as possible. This is what happened when foreign Capitalism met the undeveloped Third World, and that world had something valuable to take._

_-----_

"I need to be there! They... they might _need_ me!", Kim was protesting. She damned them for going without her. Shego – okay, that was her job. But Ron? And then Josh? They had no excuse! That _stupid_ away-game! _Stupid_ cheer-leading! Now she was alone, her friends – and her love - half a world away. It was a first, and she didn't like it.

The Director considered her situation, as well as her own.

"I'm afraid we have another job... perhaps you could attend to. We believe there may be a plan – we don't know what kind of plan – to wreck havoc in a certain South American country. This plan needs to be found out, and foiled. I'm afraid we don't -", she was interrupted by Kim.

"Can't you get someone else? Hong Kong! I need to go to Hong Kong!", Kim cried desperately.

The Director considered again. "No. No Hong-Kong. This mission I'm proposing, though, is not just _my_ idea. It's actually part of what your... partners... are involved in. If you really want to help _them_, you'll help _me_."

"How is it involved with them?"

This was going to be the hard part for the Director. She couldn't very tell the young world-saver that she had a _hunch_ that Mr. Mankey was on to something. And she couldn't show her what Mankey had done, either. She didn't understand it, frankly. What he'd shown her looked like some weird sort of drawing of the structure of a crystal... he'd pointed to things and looked the Director saying "See? See?", and she'd nodded her head as if she'd understood: but she hadn't. It wasn't her job to understand technical details. It was her job to understand the people that did.

"Suffice it to say that it is – or may be, at least – part of a pattern. A very complex pattern, the pieces of which are beginning to fall into place very rapidly. We have people scattered all over the globe, and we can't spare anyone for this." Dr. Director stood behind her desk and looked at her globe, giving it a careless spin as she collected her thoughts. "I would consider it a personal _favor_ to me, if you would go to Venezuela and look around."

Those would be light words coming from anyone else, and easily dismissed. But there was still one problem.

"My partner. Ron's over there. I... I need someone to watch my back", Kim said.

"I'm sure we can find someone who -"

"No, not 'someone'. I need someone I _know_, someone who's reactions I know, whose capabilities I know... someone I can trust..." Kim said uncertainly. There were few such people, and they were _all_ in Hong Kong.

The Director sighed. She'd known this was going to happen sooner or later, ever since she'd reluctantly sighed the purchase-order for the parts. It was just inevitable, really. "Take Sheaghen."

-----

"I'm going on a mission? Yay!", the syntho-drone chortled.

"You did _not_ just say 'yay', did you?", Kim responded with amazement.

Sheaghen smiled wickedly at her, "Why? Don't like your side-kicks all perky? That's not what _I_ heard..."

Kim sighed. She really _was_ just like Shego, in a lot of ways. A _lot_ of ways.

"Listen, Sheaghen... I need to know your capabilities, if we're gonna do this. I've dealt with syntho-drones before – I hope you can fight better than they could."

"Oh, I have a _lot_ of upgrades. Seriously. You'll be surprised, I think. Watch:", Sheaghen said, and proceeded to do a double-flip backwards, with a kick from each leg, and a balancing punch from each diagonally-opposed arm, every time she went around 12 o'clock. It _was_ impressive. "Well?"

"Okaaaaaay... so you can move. Are you water-proof?"

"As a sheep's gut."

"Can you take, say, 7 g's?"

"14, actually. Enough to totally crush you squishy meat-bags."

Kim tried desperately to push each image out of her mind. "Well, what _are_ you vulnerable to?"

"I'm an electronic device, so EMP will hurt me. Other than that, well, and fire – my green goo, as you call it, _is_ flammable – I'm pretty much immune to most things that would kill a human."

The teenage hero cataloged the information away in her mind. But she had one more question, and was unsure how to ask it... or whether to believe the answer, whatever it was; "Uh... can I _trust_ you?"

Sheaghen thought about it, deep and hard. It took almost a full second. And it only took that long because of all the emotion simulation sub-programs running. "Can you trust Shego?"

Now it was Kim's turn to think. She could _now... _but what about before? As Kim had gotten to know Shego better, as they'd started training together, Shego had shown her how she'd pulled punches, and ignored targets of opportunity, in order not to seriously hurt her. All those times they'd fought, Shego never did have any intention of seriously hurting her. When she did, it was an accident.

"Yes."

"Then you can trust me", Sheaghen said.

Kim sighed again. This was _so_ weird. "Okay, well, just so I'll know, what else can you do?"

"I possess the greatest weapon known to Man, which I can use at will on my opponents, rendering them senseless within seconds. How's that?", she said, suppressing a chuckle.

"Huh?"

"Check it out." And with those words, Sheaghen's nipples suddenly became fully erect under her skin-tight green-and-black suit (with a six-inch diamond-shaped cut-out around her belly-button).

Kim's mouth hung open for only a second before she came to her senses. Then, of course, came the blush - the curse of all red-heads.

Sheaghen laughed out loud. "See? Didn't know it was going to work on _you_, though... oooooohhhhhh", she grinned, "You're one of...", and before that reaction could finish processing, a new connection was made in her neural net, and assigned the highest priority, "_Oh my gawd!_ You and Shego... you're... you're _sex-partners!_"

To be embarrassed by, and in front of, a machine, were in themselves, embarrassing.

"_Oh my GAWD!_", Sheaghen cried, "This is just _TOO_ precious! So for you to be with _me...! Oh my GAAAAWD!"_

Kim had to turn away to hide her face. She could _feel_ it burning. "Look, Sheaghen, maybe this isn't such a good -"

"Oh, come ON, Kimmie! I'm just... it's something I hadn't thought of before! So_ that's_ why she never brought you around! That explains -", Sheaghen stopped, obviously processing something complicated. She looked at Kim questioningly. "So... was it that Shego was afraid of what _I_ might do... or what _you_..." But she began giggling too hard to finish the sentence.

Kim still hid her face. This had to count as one of the most "sick-and-wrong" experiences of her life, so far.

Sheaghen tried to contain herself, "Ok, look. Let's just forget about the games for awhile, much fun as it is for me. Kim, I may have Shego's personality – or that is, it _was_ her personality when it was first installed, 'cuz it changes as my own experiences are added to the mix, you know – but I _don't_ have her glands. I really, _really_ don't 'get' the whole sex thing, or love thing, or any of that stuff. That's why I make fun of it so much. To me, it's hilarious."

Kim turned around. "So you won't be hitting on me?", she said, her face still flushed.

"Uh... If I were to, it would just be teasing. But since it seems to be such a sensitive topic, I'll make a point of _not_ doing it. Really, I like people to like me. I try not to go too far."

During the fraction of a second after the "Uh...", while Sheaghen had been looking at Kim's blushing face, something amazing had happened to the robot. Amazing, unexpected, and unprecedented. But she filed it away for later analysis, rather than deal with it now. Whatever it was, it seemed to make her entire net glow, the connections between individual processors almost overloading with input.

Kim said, "So... you want me to 'like' you, but you don't 'get' love?"

"Yeah. I haven't got it all figured out either. I keep telling people my emotions are simulated, but what I _don't_ tell them is that it doesn't feel that way to _me._ In fact, I don't know why I'm even telling youespecially _you_... this."

Things were getting weirder by the second. Even the drone herself didn't know what she was capable of...

"Sheaghen... it seems like you have a lot of 'issues', and I'm not sure -"

"And you don't?"

One thing you could say for Sheaghen – she did know when to make a point.

Sheaghen begged, "_Please_ let me come on a mission! Did you know that they don't even allow me out of the building? Please? Let me see _some_ of the world?"

"You've never been out of this building?", Kim asked, actually feeling sorry for her.

"Well... that's not what I said... but please, can I come? _Pretty_-please?", and out came the puppy-dog face, Shego-style._ Sheaghen-style_, Kim corrected her own thoughts.

Kim's heart turned into soft butter... Even if Sheaghen was a machine, and even if her emotions were simulated, and even if she was filled with green goo... Kim couldn't say no, helpless in the face of her own secret weapon.

"Alright. Cut that out. And Sheaghen... if you _ever_ do that again... I'll have Drakken dismantle you", she said half-seriously.

"Oh, _thank_ you, Kimmie!", Sheaghen's arms flew out to embrace the red-head, but stopped while still in mid-closure. The robot looked into the somewhat terrified eyes of the human. "Too weird?"

"_SO_ too weird!", Kim replied.

Sheaghen stood down. "Okay. Well, thanks anyway, then. And... I'd like to see him try. I gotta go pack!" She skipped off down the hallway, humming and giggling to herself.

Kim thought, _Pack? What could she have to pack? Oh, THIS is going to be one for the old scrap-book._

_-----_

Josh found him in Shego's room in the compound. Shego was still there, folded up in the corner. There were scorch marks in the floor beside her, where the tile and cement seemed to have been melted. Josh went to the bed to wake Ron up without saying anything.

"He's out. Probably for another two hours or so", Shego said behind her knees.

"What happened?", he asked, still looking at Ron, trying to find a bruise, a cut, anything.

"I... I zapped him. I'm sorry, Josh."

"What do you mean 'zapped him'?", he wanted to know. He had turned his attention to her now.

"With my plasma. Remember? You once said it looked 'cool'. You once...", but she couldn't finish the sentence.

Josh considered what he'd been told, and started to become angry. "Mind telling me why you thought it was necessary to 'zap' my boyfriend, Shego?"

She swallowed, but said nothing.

"Shego?" Josh was at the end of the bed now, right in front of her. "Shego?"

_Older is supposed to be wiser_, she thought, _guess that doesn't apply to me. The best friends I've ever had – and my lover besides – are all high school kids. And me, I'm the stupid one with super-powers. THEY are supposed to be looking up to ME! Why is it that I have to be the one who keeps screwing up? Why couldn't it be Ron? Or Kim? I could forgive them..._

_Will they forgive me? Will SHE?_

"SHEGO!"

"I SAID I WAS SORRY!", Shego cried. It caught Josh off-guard, the pain in her voice, her squinted eyes. He could see that she was, indeed sorry, and it took a little of his anger away. Only a little. He just stood there, looking at her, looking at Ron, trying to decide how he felt.

Behind her knees again, Shego said, "Josh... I'll explain what happened... but it's going to be hard – and humiliating – for me. So please, wait until Ron gets up, so I only have to do it once. Okay?"

Josh didn't say anything.

She added, "I really need... I really need _someone_ to not _hate_ me right now." She was crying again, Josh could see her shoulders hitch.

"Swear to me he's going to be all right?", he said.

"To the best of my knowledge, Josh, he'll be okay", she looked up at him, "That's the best I can do. I'm sorry." She buried her face again.

Josh continued looking at her for awhile, then at the scorch-marks in the floor, then over at Ron. He took a space next to Shego and sat on the floor, cross-legged. "Okay. I won't hate you. For awhile." He went on staring at Ron, unconscious on the bed.

-----

_The shogun greeted his favorite concubine with his usual bow. He was a stickler for formality, she had learned, so she bowed back, respectfully deep. Being sold to him was the best thing that had ever happened to her, because he actually allowed her to pursue her own interests. She was allowed to practice with the samauri – who tolerated her presence only because she was too beautiful to turn away. She was allowed to learn to read and write. And, on those few occasions when she felt compelled to be away to the Zen temple, he ignored the rules of tradition to which he usually attached so much importance. She led him to the bedroom with a wink of her hazel eyes and a bit of extra swing to her hips. _

_-----_

_The Shaman could be so infuriating! He knew he had a purpose... he could feel it stronger every day, but when he'd talk to the Shaman about it, he got nothing back but riddles. He was supposed to be a Guide, wasn't he? Well, Guide me! He looked at the pile of black ashes from the night's fire in front of his own, equally black, crossed legs. And next moon, he would have to begin his Walkabout. He hoped he would know his purpose by then._

_-----_

_The other knights were reveling at the inn, their stomachs full of what had to be the worst mead he'd ever tasted. But he didn't feel like celebrating. Something was left un-done. The capture of Malta had cost a high price, and he just felt that something important had been ignored. All his compatriots had laughed at him for mentioning it. "Hazel!", they'd say, making fun of him for the color of his eyes, "The battle is over, and we are still alive... it's time to celebrate!"_

_-----_

_It sickened her to see this; thousands of dead buffalo at the bottom of the cliff. Such a waste. The "people" seemed to think nothing of it – it was simply the easiest, least dangerous way to get a winter's worth of meat. Watching from a neighboring hill – she wasn't allowed to partake in the kill since she'd been Cast Out – she sighed, apologizing to the Spirits in her thoughts. "We can always take one of the injured ones that ran off", her lover said softly into her ear. "Yes", she replied, "it's just so wasteful, is all. It makes my heart sick." Her lover – the reason she had been Cast Out in the first place – carefully backed down from the summit so as not to be seen when she stood. Watching her with hazel eyes, she thought yet again: it was worth it._

_-----_

"Aspirin...", Ron moaned. "Many, many aspirin..."

Josh flew to his feet at the sound of his voice. "Ron! Are you okay?"

"My head hurts. And... I've been having the weirdest dreams...", Ron opened his eyes, squinting at the light.

Looking at him, Josh said, "Uh... You sure you're okay? What happened to your eyes?"

"Huh?"

"They're... they're different. They're... what's the word... 'hazel'?"

-----

Author's Notes:

Sheaghen's "yay" and "perky" lines and idea are courtesy Chibi-Zion, and used without permission. I don't think he'll mind. He seems to steal thoughts from my brain, without asking... or maybe it's the other way around.

The kernel of the idea for changing eye-color came from NateGrey's "Twinkle Little Star", but mine is a loose enough adaptation, you probably wouldn't have known if I hadn't said something.

Think of these as clues, as you're sifting through the fics looking for "the good ones".


	25. Chapter 25: Shut up, Ron

Author's Note:

Hey! An action scene! Missiles and jets an' everything! Please lemme know how I did at it. Or does it just not "fit" the story...

-----

"They're... they're different. They're... what's the word... 'hazel'?"

-----

Shego told her story, from the beginning: how bored she'd been, how disgruntled, how she'd felt about the trailer-park of a GJ compound. How lonely she was...

She went on to the Telegram from Dr. Director – supposedly - and described how the opulence of the Hong Kong Hilton had affected her. She was leaving nothing out.

When she described Ko, and the experiences of sex with Ko, she continued to leave nothing out, describing each act in explicit, shocking, clinical detail. She hadn't intended to... it was just coming out that way. Shego stared at the floor and told them absolutely _everything, _purging herself.

The boy's mouths hung open. They looked at each other, as if to be sure they were hearing right, and then looked back at her, as she went on with her monologue. For Josh, a homosexual, but who had experienced girls, it was an eye-opener. For Ron, a bi-sexual but a virgin with women, it actually began to make him feel queasy. For both of them it was way – _WAY!_ - too much information.

And when she began to go into how different it was from Kim... well, Ron tried to think about his Civics lesson, and Josh re-played Kasperov vs. Big Blue in his mind. But they still the couldn't help hearing.

Finally, blessedly, Shego seemed to be finished after she described the images that had run through her mind at the pub, when she'd wished there had been some peanut-butter for the crackers. All this time, she'd been staring at the floor, almost trance-like. Now she finally looked up at the two, ashen-faced boys.

"So basically, long story short, I was feeling low and lonely, and someone – I think we all know who – threw a pretty girl with a 42-D chest at me, and I crumbled. Any questions?"

"Uh..." "Couldn't you have just said_ that..." _"No..." "I guess that..." "_I_ sure don't..." "_Damn_, Shego..."

"Sara", she said.

Ron and Josh looked at her questioningly. "What?", they both asked, not quite in sync.

"I don't want to be 'Shego' anymore. Ever. It's just a name I used... I didn't even make it up - my big brother did that... and I don't want to be her. I just want to be myself, and my name is Sara Chase Gomez. Pleased to meet you." Her voice had a tired, flat tone, as if she'd worn herself out with guilt, anger, and shame, and just wanted to start again, her slate clean.

She stood up while they stared at her, both of them trying to keep from picturing the images she'd just put in their minds – in excruciating detail – as she stretched her stiff muscles.

"Ron? I'm sorry I zapped you. Are we okay?", she asked, although she already knew the answer. Somehow, during her Purge, she'd just felt it – she was forgiven. Whatever she'd done, whatever she _would_ do, she _their_ Sheg – their Sara. Kim would too, although there was more to it than just being forgiven by Kim... because Kim would be mostly "disappointed", and that was going to hurt. When the time came, it was going to hurt a great deal.

She wished Kim were there now, so she could just get it over with, with the support of the two boys. _You don't always get what you want... but if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need_ – the words of the Rolling Stones echoed in her head.

"We're okay, She- Sara", he said.

"Josh?"

"Nice to meet you. Again. Sara."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Then Josh said, "Sara, I hope you're going to split our therapy bills, when this is all over." He rubbed his eyes, which had been too wide for too long.

She smiled. Suddenly, everything was back to the way it should be, except for Ron's odd hazel irises. "I'll think about it. Chinese food? On me?"

Ron quipped, "This isn't another part of your _story_ is it?"

Back to normal, indeed.

-----

"Sheaghen! Stop leaving these in the DEN!", Kim hollered.

Kim had brought the synth to her home while she packed, and Sheaghen seemed to have a bad habit of leaving empty fuel-cell cartons wherever she happened to be when she swallowed them. On the coffee-table, the kitchen-counter, the top of the TV, the bookcases... everywhere. Each individual cell was quite small, and she was loading up on as many as she could comfortably carry in her intake-buffer, in preparation for the mission.

She hollered back from the downstairs bathroom, "Sorry, Princess! I'll take care of 'em!"

Kim came down the stairs, backpack in hand, meeting the synth just as she was coming out of the bathroom. "Uh... what were you doing in there?", Kim asked.

Sheaghen smirked, "You _really_ want to know?"

Kim could tell by the smirk, "Uh, no. No I don't."

"Good girl!", Sheaghen chuckled, kissing Kim on the forehead before the teenager could clear her head.

Kim was more than a little startled, "Hey! You said you wouldn't do that!"

"What? According to what little I know, a peck on the head does _not_ qualify as 'hitting on you'... does it?", Sheaghen asked, truly wondering.

"Well... no... I guess..." Kim tried to focus her mind. It was difficult, because she had to keep reminding herself that this was _not_ Shego. "Just, watch it with the physical contact, okay? I'm creeped out enough as it is."

Sheaghen looked her in the eye for what seemed too long, to Kim. For Sheaghen, it was an eternity, and while she was looking, she'd analyzed what had happened in the halls of the GJ when she'd seen the teenager blush. She still didn't know what it was, but she had her suspicions, and she also suspected what it might lead to. System Overload, among other things. The robot made a note to update her backup at the next opportunity.

"Okay, Kimmie", she finally said. "You're the boss."

"Good", Kim said, relieved to have the conversation over with. The synth remained in the bathroom door. "Um, excuse me? I need to use the... facilities, too, y'know."

"Oh! Sorry. Forgot how you meat-bags are. Ick.", she said, stepping out of her way and into the den.

Kim went in, closing and _locking_ the door. She shouted, "And stop calling us 'meat-bags'!"

-----

"Uh, Sh... I mean, 'Sara'... you _do_ know how to fly this thing, right?", Ron asked trying not to let the fear show in his voice as he climbed into the rear seat.

"It's a plane, Ron. Pull up, go up. Push down, go down. Left to go left, right to go right. No sweat", she replied, also trying not to show her anxiety.

"Uh-huh. Good. I feel better now", he lied.

When Josh had added the news of the breakdown in talks between China and the oil-producing countries to his matrix – or structure, or diagram... whatever it should be called, along with the information he had from Shego – now "Sara" - on the root cause of it, the next hole in the pattern had become obvious. Even the Director didn't argue (she had information from other sources that backed him up), and immediately arranged for Ron and – Sara – to head for Venezuela, piloting an F/A-22 prototype fighter by themselves to get there.

The fighter was part of a military-arms show going on in Hong Kong at the time, and the U.S. was trying to interest the Chinese – who were a "most favored trading partner', after all – to buy some. As usual, the project was _way_ over-budget.

Since there were two of them to go - and the aircraft was a two-seater - Sara would have to pilot. Sara had a 4-hour crash-course in super-sonic stealth-fighter aeronautics, while Ron poured over the "owner's manual", oohing and ahhhing the whole time. It was a lot to take in in four hours... and while Sara knew planes like the back of her hand, _this_ plane had air-brakes, after-burners, variable-contour control-surfaces, directional-thrust nozzles... and when all else failed - ejection seats.

She wasn't sure she could get it off the ground, let alone back down again. Aircraft built for speed often had a hard time going slow enough to land; or handle while taking-off, for that matter.

To make the flight, they'd had to suit up in G-suits, hooked up to a compressed-air valve and other cabling under their seats. The idea was to squeeze the blood back to their brains if they pulled too many G's. The plane itself could withstand enough G-force to squash them flat, and – being a prototype – there were no safe-guards to stop the pilot from killing the occupants with too-sharp a turn.

As a final insult, the suits were _hot_, and the flight-techs were double-checking everything for the rookie pilot and passenger. Sweat poured down both their faces while they waited in the sun on the tarmac.

"Ron, keep an eye on the computer, will ya? Let me know as we're passing the points? Uh... you know what I mean by 'points'?"

"Yeah. I gotcha. Turn your gain down, you're gonna blow my ears out."

"How's this?"

"Good. Yeah, I may not be a pilot, but I've spent far too many hours playing F-15 Strike Eagle, PC version, at home. Some of this stuff actually looks familiar..."

Sara taxied to the end of the runway like a drunken sailor on the way back to base.

"Problem with your feet, Sara?", Ron teased. Even prototype fighters still steered with foot-pedals when on the ground.

"Shut up, Ron."

Sara finally – after three tries – got the plane pointed the right way, and close enough to the center-line of the runway. They waited for clearance, engines on idle. Sara ran through the checklist she'd been given, while Ron hunted down the appropriate indicators. Finally, they were given a green light.

"Hold on to your hat, Ron. Here goes nothin'!", Sara nervously said, pulling the throttles back.

"I thought you said you could _fly this _-", but the roar of the engines cut him off. Sara hadn't known just how sensitive the throttles were, and pulled a good 4 G's before she could get things back under control. They were already doing 200 mph. Good thing it was a long runway.

"L-1 – mark!", Ron said, watching the computer display as if his life depended on it. "L-2... mark. Aaaaaand... L-3, mark! No turning back now, Sara."

"I'm aware what L-3 means, Ro - whoa!", the plane lifted off the ground by itself, and all at once, not "nose, wings, tail" as she was used to. She nosed up as gently as she could, given the terror she was feeling.

"Flaps – check. Gear – check, transponder – check...", Ron was saying, flipping various switches despite his orders "not to touch anything".

"Damn, Ron. How many times have you done this?", Sara asked, impressed.

"Heh. More than I can count. It took me a month before I could take off at all, when I first got the game."

"And when was that?"

"'When I was about 9."

"Whoa."

"You said that already."

"Shut up, Ron."

After attaining the correct altitude, and pointing the right way, there wasn't really much else to do. They were over open ocean, so there wasn't much to see, either. Bored and fascinated at the same time, it was inevitable they would explore their new toy.

"Cool! This thing has flares, chaff, jammers for _everything_ you could ever want to jam...", Ron was saying, flicking through the various displays on the computer.

"Well, it's _supposed_ to be a 'stealth' fighter, so it gives me no confidence that they _still_ felt the need to put in flares and chaff. Don't touch anything, Ron. You're making me nervous back there."

_Oh... Shego... you have no idea just how nervous you should be...,_ Ron thought evilly. He had just discovered the environmental control display for the suits they both wore. "How 'bout some nice cool air?", he asked innocently.

"Yeah, that'd be -", and instantly her suit was puffed-out with compressed air from the engine's intake, bled down to 30psi – but still at minus twenty degrees centigrade. "AAAAHHH! Ron! Cut it off! Cut it off!" Sara screamed

Ron cut it off, smiling to himself. His display showed a temperature-contour of her suit. The air inlet was right in the chest, and Sara's breasts showed faint blue against the otherwise red and orange of her body. "Sorry", he lied. "Wasn't expecting so much pressure..." It was only with the greatest difficulty that he could keep from giggling. "You okay?"

Still catching her breath, Sara could only say, "Shut pant up pant Ron," as she thought about what she would do to him once they'd landed.

Somewhere beyond the southern end of the Hawiian chain, they ran into trouble. Apparently someone was waiting for them. Someone who didn't like them. On their panels, flashers flashed and beepers beeped.

Sara, in the middle of her fuel calculations, sounded perturbed. "You checking that out Ron?"

"Uh... Sara?"

"Uh, Yes, Ron...", she mocked him.

"Uh... someone's shooting at us." He was too busy going from one display to another to verify what he saw to sound worried.

"What?"

"Yeah. Uh... listen, can't talk. No time. Just do it..."

"Do wha-" Sara tried to ask.

"Hard right turn! NOW!", he shouted.

Without thinking, Sara pulled hard to the right. Too hard. Their suits inflated automatically, but by the time Sara could recover, she was already 180 degrees from her last heading. During the turn, while she'd been unable to move her head, she'd seen two smoke trails off to her left.

"What the -", she began, but Ron interrupted her.

"Up... 20 degrees. No, 40!"

Again, Sara complied automatically. It occurred to her, in the back of her mind, that she should be wondering why she was obeying his commands without thinking. But... something about the tone of his voice, the words he was using... it just seemed like the right thing to do. It wasn't like being controlled – it was like being part of a team. Which was something Sara wasn't used to. To have enough unspoken trust to just _do _what someone told you to, no questions asked, and immediately, was something new to her. She waited for the next instructions, checking her radar display. There were no less than 8 incoming bogies.

Ron continued clicking on things in the backseat. She heard "chunk" noises as flares deployed from the fuselage.

"Okay, uh... can you use the afterburners?" Ron asked.

"I think so..."

"Right. On my mark, 20 left and 50 down, level out and burn 'till I say stop. 'Kay?"

"Check. Ace", she said, using the nickname Josh had for him, which she'd heard through the wall on many, _many_, occasions. Whatever it was Ron was doing, it had kept them out of trouble so far, so she wasn't about to start arguing.

"On three. One... two... MARK!", he shouted into the comm-link. Sara performed the maneuver. and that was all.

"Burn! SHEGO! BURN!", Ron began to panic.

"I'm looking for it! I'm looking for it! -Ah!" Apparently Sara was doing her own panicking. The burn threw them back in their seats, hard.

Ron was unable to look down at his display screen, and had to imagine what it might be showing. He was chanting "Burn... Burn... Burn... STOP!", and Sara had to actually force her finger up from the after-burner trigger, against the force of the acceleration holding it there. She saw two more smoke trails appear over her head.

There wasn't really much worth saying at this point, so she waited for new instructions.

"Go back up to 45k. We're going to need the room." Sara pulled up, but not so sharply as her previous, gut-wrenching turn. She could tell by the tone of his voice that there was no need for that kind of urgency for this maneuver - which certainly didn't mean that there was time to waste, either.

"'Kay. Uh... Sheg – I mean, Sara – we may have to take a hit here... there's four coming, in a fan. I don't know if we can lose 'em all... plus, I don't think they're just Sidewinders..." She heard more "chunk" sounds, and a couple of "FUFF!" ones in addition.

"How 'bout the air-brakes? Know where those are? Check your left arm-rest.", Ron said.

"Check. Got it", she said.

"Okay. And the engine kill-switch?"

"Check."

"'Kay. I'll handle the ignitors. You just fly the plane, comrade."

"Mind telling me the plan?", she asked. It sounded like it was going to be tricky.

"We're going to try to run them into the ocean, going straight down, on the after-burners. Missiles can fly faster than us, but we can turn faster than them. Uh, you'll have to use your own judgment for when to pull-up... I'll let you know when I think it's safe. If you pull-up before then, there's a good chance we'll take a hit."

After a short pause, she said simply, "Check".

"Okaaaaaaay... here we go... 40 more up, my mark... Mark!" They were almost heading straight up. Few aircraft in the world could power continuously straight up – but all missiles could.

"Barrel roll left. Soon... soon... MARK! ", one of those missiles flew by only yards from their heads. As Sara watched, it began to turn around to come back at them.

"Fuck me!...", she said to no one in particular.

"Brakes! 90 down, then burn!" More flares could be heard shooting from their dispensers.

In a surprisingly short time, they were headed straight down into the middle of the Pacific ocean at Mach 3. Since there was nothing to see in the ocean, Sara kept her eye clued to the altimeter and artificial horizon. It would be difficult to "pull up" if she didn't know which way "up" was. The altimeter's digital numbers were spinning by too quickly to read, but luckily the digital "dial" was available. And it showed her that the ground, as it were, was coming up _awfully_ fast.

"Ron..."

"I know."

"Ron -"

"I know! Stop burn!", they weren't accelerating down nearly as fast... but then, they didn't have nearly as much room left, either.

"RON!"

"I KNOW!"

Sara was running out of wiggle-room fast. If she waited too long, she might be in the process of pulling up, might even be nose-up, but their momentum would continue to force them into the water, in a huge belly-splash.

"RO-"

"NOW!" Ron clenched his teeth and waited for the G's. As a rule, he didn't like weighing even twice his normal mass, let alone seven – or more – times.

The aircraft was less than twenty feet from the water when the rate-meter finally stopped. A large wave could have taken them out. Three missiles splashed harmlessly into the ocean, but the fourth – and last – was beginning it's turn to follow them. Unfortunately for it, it lacked the control-surface area to execute the maneuver in time, and went into the water tail-end first as it attempted to power itself out of the dive.

Five minutes later – it seemed like forever – Shego finally spoke.

"When we land, Stoppable, I'm giving you a big, wet kiss. Tongue an' everything."

"Eww. My boyfriend says girls have cooties", Ron teased.

Sara chuckled at that. Suddenly, it didn't seem necessary to say something sarcastic _all_ the time.

"Shut up, Ron", would do.

------

A/N

"Shego – stop leaving these in the DEN!" is from hobnobrev, his (I'm assuming) avatar on a certain forum board. It was so precious, I just had to use it. Hope he doesn't mind.

So, how far do we have to go, yet? If I knew, I'd tell ya.


	26. Chapter 26: Together Again

"Eww. My boyfriend says girls have cooties" Ron teased.

Sara chuckled at that. Suddenly, it didn't seem necessary to say something sarcastic _all_ the time.

"Shut up, Ron" would do.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

A cargo transport! Of all the freakin' things... a Hercules cargo transport! Kim was almost insulted, until Dr. Director explained that – due to the nature of various conflicts – everything else was either taken or waiting for some special purpose. It was going to take eight HOURS to get to Venezuela! On an aircraft with no windows, no food or drink, no sound-isolation, and NO HEAT! DAMN she was cold! The thin blankets provided were doing next to nothing to warm her up.

Sheaghen didn't seem to mind. Damn synths. Probably had her own... hey...

"Uh... Sheaghen?" Kim had to shout to be heard, "Are you... do you make your own heat?"

"Yeah. Internal temperature control. My 'goo' has to be kept around 100 F to remain liquified."

So she would be warm. The thought of being under a blanket with... with her... to share her body heat... well... And she looked and acted just like Shego, if somewhat more "perky". And Kim liked her, too. Liked her in a different way than she "liked" Shego. Sheaghen was kind of fun to be around, infectious, almost. No, not almost: her sly, sardonic "perkiness" WAS infectious...

Kim thought about how to phrase this.

"Well, _my_ internal temperature control can't keep up with this cold. Could I, uh..." Kim grappled with the words.

But she hadn't needed to finish anyway, because Sheaghen was already unwrapping Kim's three blankets and sliding over next to her. Once there, the synth re-wrapped them both in the blankets, forming a hood over Kim's head with one of them. Sheaghen wasn't trying anything embarassing, either, to Kim's surprise, but sat there bolt-upright, arms at her sides, apparently un-concerned with the physical closeness.

"Thanks" Kim said.

"De nada" replied Sheaghen, without looking at her.

But Sheaghen's mind was _not_ unconcerned. Rather, she was trying desperately to deal with the surplus of input her processors seemed to be gathering. For some reason, touching the red-haired human was saturating her physical sensors, their input being assigned a higher priority than necessary. _Way_ higher than necessary...

It felt good. _She_ felt good, the human girl... the meat-bag. Why should that be? _I don't understand this at ALL... I don't get it, _Sheaghen thought. _I just don't get it!_ Her touch-sensors were being over-loaded in exactly the same way as her optical processors had been when she'd seen Kim blush. Well, not _exactly_ the same way, because the two sensors were radically different in every way... but the way the input was being processed... was the same. Somehow. She thought again, _I don't get it_.

"Uhm, Sheaghen? Would you do me a favor?" Kim asked, still shivering.

"Sure, Princess."

"Could you turn your heat up? And... would you put your arm around me and _NOT_ say anything about it?" Kim asked. She didn't even mind the "Princess"... Shego had been away nine days; a fake was better than nothing. Besides, she was _so_ cold...

"Sure" Sheaghen said flatly, and as she did so, Kim could feel a faint vibration run through the synth's whole body, starting with the arm that embraced her, and continuing down her torso and legs, all of which were in contact with Kim's own.

A human would have swallowed hard - "gulped", but Sheaghen's motor-control fibers vibrated instead. Sheaghen felt glad that Kim wouldn't know this.

_Why should I care? What... what's going on here? Maybe I should shut my personality simulator off... maybe these are Shego's reactions, and I'm just along for the ride... _But she didn't really consider them "Shego's reactions" anymore, they were her own. And while she technically _could_ shut off her personality-simulator, she didn't want to. Because she knew what it was like to be without one, and once she shut it off, she might never "want" - a word that wouldn't even apply anymore – to turn it back on. Unless someone could convince her that it would be the logical thing to do. Cold, hard, dry Logic. That was no way to live!

Sheaghen turned herself up to 110F. Ten minutes later, Kim suggested they assume what had become the standard movie-watching positions for Kim and Shego (The green one at the end of the bench, legs stretched out along it, and the red-head between those legs, head between her breasts), Kim fell asleep.

_I still don't get it_, Sheaghen thought. _But I don't care. I like it._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Over Suriname, only an hour from landing, and Sara became aware that she was... aroused? No, no, that didn't make sense... she wasn't even _thinking_ anything, what with keeping an eye on the fuel situation (after-burners sucked fuel up _incredibly_ fast), checking in with various towers she passed, and, well, keeping an eye out for more bogies... how could she be getting _horny_? But she was certainly feeling..._ warm_, down there...Oh. Yeah. Of course.

"Ron? Are you playing with my suit again?"

"Maybe... Why?" Ron tried to sound innocent and evil at the same time.

"Because if you're doing what I _think_ you're doing..."

"Yeah?"

"Uh, good job" she decided, "Thanks."

"... you're welcome" he replied, flustered and stalling for time to think of something sarcastic. _Thanks? Huh?_

"Still won't get you out of that kiss though, pretty-boy."

"_Pretty_-boy?"

Sara giggled the rest of the way in.

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Sara took off her G-suit in the locker-room and showered, since there were facilities available. She'd been wearing the same outfit Ron had found her in for over 20 hours, and under the sweaty G-suit, as well. She threw them away. _Hello, expense-report!_ she thought to herself with a smile. After the shower, and cursing herself for not bringing her own hair-care products, she toweled-off and put on her black-and-green (and red) body-suit. This marked the first time she'd actually worn it since she'd received them. There just hadn't been time, or oppurtunity, or cause, before.

While she'd given up the name "Shego", she was _not_ going to give up the suit. Unlike the name, the suit's design _was_ her idea. Looking at herself in the mirror, checking out the little swath of redness over her left breast, she felt a pang of regret. She remembered how she'd felt when she'd re-designed the suit to include the new color. She didn't feel the same, now.

She met Ron back in the hangar.

"Was just talking to Wade," he said, "he says Josh is still in the air bound for Sea-Tac, won't even be there for another 6 hours. Meanwhile, he says the Director will want to talk to you when we get back, but that it can wait." He finally looked up at her after clapping his Communicator shut. "Whoa!"

Normally, she would have said something smart, seeing Ron's reaction to her in her suit. But all the smart phrases suddenly seemed insipid to her.

"Yeah. Haven't worn it in awhile... actually feels good to be back in it for a change. Perfect for this kind of weather – uh, okay, Ron, what're you staring... I thought you preferred guys, anyway?" Ron was grinning at her in a way she didn't understand. Or mis-understood, whichever.

"Sorry. It's just... I didn't realize how you'd filled-out since... well, I like to think 'since I've been feeding you'. Kinda... makes me proud, is all. And nice change to the suit" he winked at her. Then he thought of something else: "Oh, and I'm bisexual, but even so, you _know_ that kiss was just... sick and wrong. I dunno how, it just was." It was true; the kiss Sara had given him as soon as they had their helments off – "tongue and everything" – _was_ just wrong. They both knew it.

Words failed her. He was taking credit for _her_ body? What kind of screwed up... well, it did make a _kind_ of sense, if you looked at it sideways enough. She decided to let it go. After all, if she didn't, he might _stop_ feeding her, and she didn't want _that..._

Ron went on, "Oh, and Wade says Kim's on her way, as of last night. Should be here..." he checked his watch, "actually, should be here now..."

Two dark, but obviously feminine, figures appeared in the sunlit hangar door. From the darkened back of the building, it was impossible to make them out, but a shiver ran through Sara when she saw them. She didn't need to see anything but the walk. Neither did Ron.

Ron knew there was about to be a hard scene, so he tried to give Sara some space.

"Uh, Sara? I gotta go check -"

"You leave me to face her alone, Ron, and I swear to _GOD_ I will never speak to you again." Sara wasn't even looking at him when she'd said it.

Uneasily, Ron said, "Uh... okay..." Ron had heard that tone in her voice before, a long time ago, when she was much skinnier. Sara – Shego – was scared to death.

They began walking towards the figures, who were in turn, walking towards them. Soon, one of the shadows against the sunlight broke into a run, arms out. Had it been in slow-motion, and with violins playing, it could have been a bad movie. Sara just stopped and waited.

Kim threw her arms around Sara, burying her face in the massive fall of jet-black hair. She didn't say anything.

She didn't have to.

For Kim it was a simple feeling: she missed Shego. The force of her hug showed how much. That was all there was to it.

And Sara could feel that simplicity, that lack of reserve, that honesty. And every bit of it made her feel worse. _This is the last time it will feel this way. The last time she will be able to feel like this towards me. The last time I'll be able to let her._ Sara tried to enjoy it while she could, knowing it wouldn't happen again - ever - but in the end, she couldn't lie to Kim. Even if the lie was only by omission. Sara's arms did not wrap around Kim. Her face did not turn to be buried in the red-orange hair, to inhale her fragrance. Sara stood there like a statue. Then, her breath began to catch as she started to cry. Kim pulled back.

"Shego?"

Sara looked into her eyes – a mistake, in this context, because in them she could see everything she herself was thinking, but all at once, instead of spread out over a chain of seperate thoughts. She couldn't stand it. She shot a glance at Ron, then turned and ran back towards the locker-room.

"Shego?" Kim asked louder, not understanding her lover's sudden panic.

"Shego! Wait! What's -" she began to run after her, but felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Let her go, Kim. She'll be alright. She... uh... I mean, 'we' need to talk." He hoped the calm in his voice would do the trick.

It didn't.

Kim tore free of his hand and began to run, but Ron soon tackled her from behind, the two of them nearly ending up on the cement floor.

"Ron! Let go of me! LET GO!" Kim was just about to let her hands and feet fly. Something was wrong with Shego. He was keeping her away. Just like when Kim had thought Ron was "damaged" - that she'd turned him into a homosexual – the thought that something was wrong with Shego was fixated in her mind, and nothing would stop her until she found out what it was.

"KIM! Wait a minute! She... she had sex with another woman! I... give me a chance to tell you...! Geez, KP!" Ron was saying as he barely avoided a knee, an elbow, another knee...

Then it all came to a stop. "She – she what?" Was this some kind of trick?

"She, uh... Kim, it's a long story. She was used by Lee again. Only this time, he exploited a different weakness. C'mon. Walk with me?"

Stunned enough that she was unable to think, she allowed Ron to lead her out of the hangar. Ron explained about Ko, about how Shego had felt before Ko, and after. He didn't go into the explicit detail that Shego had, but he got the point across. All the while, the teenage girl remained silent.

Finally, Ron stopped talking. He looked out over the sun-drenched tarmac and waited for Kim to react.

"She had big boobs, didn't she..." Kim said.

Which was not exactly what Ron had been expecting. "Uh... 42-D? I think that's what she said... is that -"

"Yeah, that figures. Shego _does_ like boobs... Shit."

Hearing Kim Possible say "shit" shook Ron. It just wasn't done. It would be like hearing Sara say "please". Which, come to think of it...

"KP, you can't possibly think the size of your boobs has any -" he began, but was cut off by a sharp glare from the red-head.

"Oh! Of course not! Of course you're right, Ron... after all, you've been a Lesbian for _how_ long now!" Kim was beyond angry with a mix of emotions boiling and churning inside her. Ron was a convient target.

"Shutting up" Ron said.

"Good! Keep it that way!" she replied too loudly.

They stood in silence.

Ron knew he shouldn't be saying this, but couldn't stop himself, "So, I take it '42-D' is, uh -"

"You're looking at a 34-B, Ron. Yeah. That's big" Kim said with resignation. She was hanging her head, now, maybe looking at her own breasts, or maybe just looking nowhere. Eventually she added, "Sorry I snapped like that. You don't know... And anyway, how _could_ she...?"

Ron had an idea. "What did you give up, Kim, to be with her?"

She looked up at him as if he'd just said the most non-sensical thing she'd ever heard.

"Huh?"

"What did you give up, for her? Did you have to give up being a world-saver? A hero?"

Rather than just answer, she thought about it. It was a tactic she was beginning to learn from both Ron and Josh... if you didn't think about your answer beforehand, you'd probably have to think about it later. No, she hadn't had to give up her "career". Shego, of course, had.

"I get your point... but that -"

"What about money? She cost you anything? A car, a house... _any_ thing you value?"

Shego had given hundreds of millions to the GJ as part of her "parole". Everything she had, actually.

"All _right_, Ron! I get it! But I still -"

"And you know what, KP? She didn't even mind, did she? Did she ever complain about living in a cheesey apartment full of rented – or borrowed – furniture? Not even having a car? Let alone a LearJet? Did she seem to care?"

Kim thought some more. "No, she didn't. Not that I could tell..."

"Right. She didn't even _care_, KP! As long as _you_ were around, she was happy. She probably never even thought about what she'd given up. Because you were there. She did it for you, and she had what was really important to her. You."

"Well, then why -"

"Because, suddenly, you _weren't_ there, Kim! This was her first mission, her first time - since you'd gotten together - that she'd been away from you. And it all came back on her. Having to work for a living: doing a boring, menial job that was _way_ beneath her, just to earn money. And money for what? A rented apartment. Having to _save up_ to buy a car. Forget about a Lotus. Think "Neon". And why was she doing it? Where was the reward?" Ron was getting a peek into the mind of the Devil, and he was rightly impressed. One insignificant mission, with global consequences. Genius.

He paused as the train of thought formed new junctions in his head. "I almost have to admire Lee: he knows when people are weakest, and he knows their weaknesses. He traded her everything she was missing – and when she would miss it most - for that one little mission. Genius..."

Kim began to breathe deeply. Ron was right. All Shego had needed, or really wanted, was her, and then she wasn't there. Small wonder she'd been... distracted. And Lee – Lee _did_ know Shego, knew her weaknesses, knew that she wouldn't be able to resist...

Kim ran back into the hanger as fast as she could, into the hallway in the back, and found the locker room at the end. Shego – who had been hiding in a stall – had come out to face her when she'd finally heard the fast-paced footsteps. Apparently, she would have to do this alone, after all.

Kim stopped two feet in front of Shego. Panting, she just looked at her. Up and down, in the eyes, at the hair, at the suit... at the new red swatch on her chest...

"He... told you?" Sara was barely able to whisper.

Kim didn't respond, even with a nod. She just looked back into her eyes, and slowly raised her hands to Sara's shoulders. This time Sara responded in kind, and they drew slowly together, as if testing the waters for fear they might be too cold.

They weren't.

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	27. Chapter 27: Josh & Ko

Kim didn't respond, even with a nod. She just looked back into her eyes, and slowly raised her hands to Sara's shoulders. This time Sara responded in kind, and they drew slowly together, as if testing the waters for fear they might be too cold.

They weren't.

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Josh had been venting to the Director for ten minutes so far, but she would let him go on, partly because it amused her, though she was careful to hide it.

"... so you _can't_ really blame her! She didn't know what she was doing, and she was under the control... well, not really _control_... she was being _used_ by Lee-Jinn again, and he knew her from before, see? So he knew her weaknesses, and -"

"Mr. Mankey." The Director had decided to end it, finally.

" - she was just a pawn. He set it up so incredibly, _beautifully_ right but subtle that -"

"Mr. Mankey..."

"- _anyone _would have -"

"JOSH!"

"- uh... would have..." Josh realized he'd been babbling. In the back of his mind, he wondered why she'd let him go on as long as he did. "I'm... sorry, ma'am. It's just that -"

"I'm aware of what it 'is just', Mr. Mankey. I picked that job for her. Unfortunately, I had no idea of the possible ramifications... it was just supposed to be a test."

"And she... failed."

"Never black and white, you should know that. In the scope of human actions and events, _nothing_ is ever as simple as pass/fail. In a sense, yes, she failed. On the other hand, she was able to catch herself failing, and correct it. And she didn't try to hide it – I have her report right here, corroborating yours. The fact is: she realized her weakness – and her mistake – much sooner than most people would. So in that sense, she passed at the top of her class, if you care to look at it that way."

Josh stared abashed at Dr. Director. She was _way_ ahead of him, as usual. He sighed. He should have known.

"So, you don't... hold it against her?" he asked.

"No, Mr. Mankey. Everyone has their weaknesses. Including you and I. Take Will Du, for instance: his weakness is 'fame'. He craves it. Back when he was unaware of that weakness – when he first came to he GJ – it got him into trouble. More than once, in fact. Some people are slower to pick up on their own motives than others. Ron Stoppable's weakness – and this is just between us, Mr. Mankey – is recognition. Kim Possible's is 'love', and Shego's, as we all now know, is luxury and pretty girls. No one is free from weakness. Care to know yours?"

It was a rhetorical question – her amusement had gotten the best of her, finally, and she realized she was just being mean. In all the times she'd had conversations like this - and her ability to do so was a large part of the reason she _was_ "Dr. Director" - no one had ever -

"Yes, ma'am" Josh said evenly.

"You... you do?" The Director was actually taken aback by Josh's behavior. This was unprecedented.

"I think it would be valuable to me to know my weakness. I'm guessing it's... Ron?"

_Someday, _the Director thought, _what I'm going to be known for will be having discovered Josh Mankey. He'll have my job. Actually, he'll likely be the boss of whoever has my job..._

"No, Josh... relationships are never the true weak-point in a person – they just seem that way to the parties involved." She sighed. This would be a first. "Very well, Josh. Here it is: you care too much what people think of you. You crave acceptance. Perhaps it might be more simply described as 'peer pressure'. _That_ is what you need to be aware of."

Josh thought about it. He could feel the truth of what she'd said: he did care, he cared a LOT. He'd made up a whole "cool ladies'-man" persona in his quest for acceptance. A persona he'd carefully crafted since... since _way_ before he'd discovered he was gay. And when he did make the discovery, the persona became even more of a life-saver than it had been before. It was very successful. And being so successful, he'd been very lonely, living that lie.

But Ron, of course, had seen through it in the space of time it takes to eat a Grande' Naco. Which, for Ron, was not long at all. And Josh hadn't been lonely since. He was suddenly overcome with emotion, and asked haltingly if he was dismissed.

"Not yet. I have one other piece of business with you. It's about the drawing you left in the computer-lab."

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have drawn on the walls like that, I know -"

He was cut off by the Director's hearty and prolonged laughter.

"Oh, my God, Josh! You thought I was going to spank your behind for _writing on the walls_? Oh... Oh my! Oh..." Dr. Director tried to catch her breath. It was just so _cute_!

Josh was dumbfounded. Outside her office, the Director's secretary perked her ears up and stared at the door. Laughter? From in there?

"Uh... well..." Josh stammered.

Finally able to regain some self-control, the Dr. Director looked at him from behind her desk. She lifted her eye-patch. The eye behind the patch appeared perfectly normal.

"Josh. I know how this sounds, and I'm aware of the irony of the whole situation, but here it is: the diagram you left on the walls of the computer lab is now classified, at a _very_ high level, and you do not possess that kind of clearance. Therefore, you do not know about it. And since you don't know about it, you won't be able to _tell_ anyone about it."

"But..."

The Director stared at him with both eyes, and Josh shut up.

"Everyone who _has_ seen it has already been de-briefed. Have you told any of your three partners about it?"

_My three partners?_ Josh had to turn away as those words played over and over in his head. Dr. Director only waited.

"No... it never... I mean, there was never an opportunity, or time. They wouldn't have understood, anyway..."

"No, they wouldn't. Neither did I. I had to call in geniuses from the National Laboratory to come check it out, and then _they_ had to call on people _they_ considered geniuses. And then they _all_ had to be debriefed. I will be doing the paperwork on it for a week yet."

She let that sink in. She'd never had to tell anyone that they were a genius before, and certainly not one of Josh's apparent caliber. She hoped she'd done it right.

"But I... I don't want to be -"

"I know you don't, Josh. As we've discussed, it's your weakness. Perhaps this will help you feel better: I've been told that your work on what will forever be called 'the Mankey Diagram' will likely remain classified for the duration of your life, and probably much longer. Until such time as human society has changed dramatically from what it is now, in fact. A time when money and power are no longer connected."

"Oh, thank God..." Josh sighed with relief. He could be a famous genius long after he was dead – that would be fine with him. "But... as a tool, it still -"

It seemed Josh would never get to finish a sentence in the presence of the Director. "When you care to do further work along that line – notice I do not mention anything by name – come see me. We have a sufficiently secure area in which you can work."

"So... I can still work on something I'm not allowed to know about?"

"I did say it was ironic, didn't I?" Dr. Director teased. "The simple fact that you're a minor, Mr. Mankey, adds incredibly to the hassle. Things would have been _so_ much simpler if you could have waited another 6 months to make your breakthrough... but then, the work I have to do pales in comparison to the value you have added – and will add in the future – to my Organization. You have become a star, Josh – but no one is to know it. For your own safety, you understand. A lot of people would like to get their hands on you, if they knew."

He could see how that could be true. It was so sad, in a way: you try to do something to make the world a better place, and someone will want to use it for personal gain. Josh would find out later that for geniuses, it was a common complaint.

"You may go, Mr. Mankey" the Director said pulling her eye-patch back down. "You understand that certain parts of this conversation never took place?"

"Yes, ma'am..."

"A helo is waiting for you on the pad. It will take you to a jet, which will take you to -"

"Venezuela?" Josh asked excitedly. They would all be together again! It was about time!

"If you would allow me to finish... Venezuela."

Josh bolted for the door, and said without turning to look at her, "Excuse me for the interruption, ma'am!" The door slammed behind him.

_You are excused, Mr. Mankey, _she thought, and turned to look out her window. _Once that boy matures, I will dread having to sit in front of HIS desk!_

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_Outside his plush estate, a helicopter waited on the pad. Lee paced back and forth on the porch in front of it. Things were coming together better than they had for... well, since Malta. But the Soldier was getting closer than he'd ever been before, as well. Far closer than he'd been in Malta. It was no surprise that the Brazilian missile-cruiser hadn't been able to deal with him – it was usually a mistake to depend on mankind's inventions to accomplish His goals. Utilizing their weaknesses was much more reliable - often cheaper, as well, as if that mattered. And, there was something new: all indications pointed to Mankey as a source of trouble, though he didn't know what kind._

_But he had a plan, of course. A plan devised on short notice, and without proper resources at hand... still, he had enough excellent tools at his disposal and could make do. It was too bad he'd had to lose Ko – she would have been instrumental in the next Version of the Seals, should this one fail. She'd been slated to develop a relationship with the daughter of the Secretary of the Federal Reserve of the United States, and now he would have to either scrap that plan or use the other Sapphic Slic instead. But she was busy with a rather important assignment of her own, having to do with a Version of the Seals three numbers up._

_But, if things went even partially according to plan, there would be no need for the higher-order Versions anyway._

_KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP_

_Ko was afraid. It was not a new feeling to her, but she'd never been afraid at this level before. She had been ordered to do things completely against all her training, things contrary to everything she had ever been taught. Things a Slic shouldn't have to do. This was wrong – He shouldn't have sent her on – but questioning the Master only brought the Pain. She knew better than to question His judgment. _

_The worst part was that she was to be enslaved to a MALE! She wasn't trained to deal with males! All her training, all her study, her practice... everything had been with women. How was she supposed to deal with a man? There was a REASON she was a Sapphic! She wasn't attracted to women, and didn't care about her relationships with them... but to be enslaved to a MAN was... how could she handle it?_

_She would have to keep herself reigned in, is how. She would do as she'd been ordered... well, there was no question of that, but that's ALL she would do. No practicing her Art here. She would revert into a machine-like state, do as she was told, and keep herself locked up inside, as usual. Really, it would be the same as any other mission, excepting she would not dare think, or react, or consider, anything. Yes, she could handle that. She was skilled enough to do it. But there would be nothing to take pride in, as there had been with that Shego woman. A mission that complex and difficult would probably never happen to her again – she was lucky it had been her mission at all. She would always take pride in the success of it. That would see her through._

_KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP_

Upon finally getting out of the airport at Caracas, Josh and his Guide had been kidnapped by a well-organized group of about 40 men. All of them were dressed differently, so that they appeared to be a random mob. Without anyone seeing, they managed to get him into a white limousine and out into the Venezuelan countryside. The Guide was left unconscious in the parking-lot.

Hooded and tied, Josh tried to keep track of turns and times, and guess at speed. He might be able to dead-reckon his way back to the airport, at least. When the limo finally stopped on a dirt road in the middle of the jungle, the zip-ties on his wrists were cut and he was pushed out the door. Then the limo sped away.

Josh pulled off his hood and looked around. There was a white Land-Rover, with an almost-black woman standing in front of it. Though he'd never met her, Josh instantly recognized Ko.

_This is bad_, he thought.

"Here, let me help you up" the girl said, coming over to him and offering her hand. Josh didn't take it. He got up himself, and stood there looking at her, waiting for whatever would happen next. He expected Lee to be inside the Land-Rover. He expected to not live much longer. So, given all these things, it didn't hurt to just look at Ko... because she _was_ beautiful. True, Josh was not sexually attracted to feminine beauty, but he could still tell it when he saw it. He could easily see how Shego had been pulled in, engulfed, hypnotized by that beauty.

She did not say anything more, but seemed to be waiting as well.

"You're Ko" he finally said, when it became apparent that nothing was going to happen _soon_, anyway.

"Yes" she said without expression.

"Why are you here?"

"To serve you."

Josh tried to hide his shock at those words. To serve _him? _

"Why would you want to serve me?" he asked.

"I have been ordered to serve you in any way you desire."

"By who?"

"My Master." Ko's face remained expressionless.

Obviously, this was trick of some sort. In fact it was _so _obvious, it was hard to think straight about the whole situation.

"Tell me exactly what your orders are, Ko." he asked.

Without hesitation, she answered, "I am ordered to obey your every command immediately and without question. I am further ordered to speak only the truth to you, and to answer your questions to the fullest of my knowledge."

"Why?"

"I do not know that."

_Of course, _Josh thought, _of course you don't. _He stepped up to look into the Land-Rover: it was empty. The keys were on the seat. He could easily take it, and leave the mysterious gift of Ko standing there in the jungle. He actually considered doing just that.

Why would Lee give him Ko? _He must KNOW that I know who – and what – she is... He must KNOW that I wouldn't trust a word out of her mouth. Surely he doesn't think I'll be taken in like Shego was... even if I were straight, because I KNOW about her! It doesn't make sense! _

_Has Lee made a mistake?_

_No, he went to too much trouble to set this up. Kidnapping me, only to have me drive back to Caracas in a white Land-Rover with Ko at my side... What does he think I – or any of us – would want with her? Well, Shego – uh, Sara - would probably like to have a word with her... and Kim would probably like to kick her ass... but really... Ron? He's at least bisexual, but... no, no, I'm grasping at straws here. She is here for a REASON, and whatever that REASON is, it will not be in our favor. I should leave her here. I'm a logic-guy... I don't do well guessing at motives and emot-_

_But Ron does!_

"Get in the car, Ko."

She complied without a word, and Josh turned the Rover around and headed back to Caracas.

_KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP_


	28. Chapter 28: HeShe

"Get in the car, Ko."

She complied without a word, and Josh turned the Rover around and headed back to Caracas.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"KIDNAPPED? WHERE? WHEN?" Ron screamed.

"Calm down Ron! They just found his Guide knocked-out in -" Kim tried to tell him.

"I... I gotta go. WE gotta go! C'mon!" Ron continued shouting as he ran towards the front of the hangar.

"Ron! Listen to me! It was at the Caracas International Airport! No one saw anything! We have no idea -" Kim still tried, but it wasn't doing much good. Sheaghen was watching from a corner of the hangar, taking data. This was the kind of thing that happened, apparently, when the meat-bags got involved with whatever their version of her sensory-overload was. They went insane.

Sara ran towards Ron and tackled him, the two of them going down on the hard cement floor. She struggled to pin him down – he seemed uncharacteristically strong, and moreover, his movements were incredibly _fast_.

"Ron! Ron! There's nothing we can do right now! Calm – ugh – down!" She was having trouble keeping her grip as he bucked and squirmed. Kim was running to help. Neither of them had ever seen Ron like this.

"Let me go! Shego! Let me - LET ME GO!" he screamed, lifting Sara into the air by buckling himself into her as she straddled him. Before Sara could figure out that she was airborne, and before Kim could even get there, Ron was on his feet, seething rage on his face.

He began to lash out with fists and feet at the same time. As Kim came up from behind, he kicked at her without looking, connecting with the top of her pelvis, doubling her over and knocking her back four feet. Sheaghen ran to her side. At the same time, his fist connected with Sara's jawbone from the side, twisting her head to the left. Her whole body followed suit due to the force of the blow.

They were no "warning shots" from him. He was beyond that. If something happened to Josh, and they kept him from going, they would die. It was a feeling, not a thought. He had no time for thinking.

Sara recovered first. This would be For Real, and she was up for it. Ron wasn't nearly as skilled as she or Kim were... but somehow, he had power and speed they'd never seen before. Perhaps it was the anger, they didn't have time to ask.

Sara went in, blocking and kicking, trying to find purchase on him, trying to connect. Ron's fighting was clumsy, un-trained. He was going on instinct. But, she could tell, if even one of his punches or kicks were to find its mark, something would probably break. Kim was lucky if she didn't have something broken already, and he hadn't even been _looking_ at her! But she had no time to wonder, only to react. Ron was landing glancing blows on her legs and upper-arms because she was – barely - able to get out of the way in time. Sara lit up her plasma. She was beginning to become afraid.

"Ron! Stop it! It's US!" she tried to reason with him. He didn't even hear.

But suddenly, he was kicked forward: Kim had gotten both feet into the middle of his back by leaping above his defending leg. It was enough to distract him. Shego killed the fire and got in a punch to his gut, but another to his head was blocked. The surprise had only made him fight harder, made the situation worse.

Sara was going to have to hurt him.

The added distraction of Sheaghen gave her the chance. While she couldn't be sure it would work, it seemed like the best idea at the time: she used the finger-blades of her gloves and sliced open his face from brow to cheek, above and below his right eye. That eye was soon covered with oozing blood.

Ron howled in pain. But still he did not stop.

She cut into his chest, his belly, his arms as opportunity afforded. She was waiting for her chance at his remaining good eye. The other two girls – human and synth – continued throwing punches and kicks when they could, trying to give Sara room and time to work. Ron was screaming incoherently as his own movements ripped the cuts further open. The pain gave him even more strength.

In a blindingly fast series of brute-force moves, he had Sara down, her hands pinned underneath her back by his weight straddling her belly. Both hands together, he raised them above his head, as if intending to mash her skull to pulp. For just a second – it may have been the sweat in her eyes – she swore she saw a sword - broad, heavy, and double-edged - in his hands.

"_WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME!_" he screamed through the blood and pain. His good eye looked directly into hers.

"Because you needed me to, Comrade" Sara said quietly back.

It was over. She'd done her best, but she couldn't overcome Ron's insanity for the loss of his lover. At least, she'd done what a comrade should: she'd tried. She accepted it. If it had been Kim kidnapped, he probably would have had to do exactly the same thing, if he could. She understood.

_She understood. _ He saw that. He'd seen it before, but from the other side, somehow. Where?

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_As a Soldier of the Empire, even a lowly one who hadn't served long enough to become a Roman Citizen yet, life was hard - but better than he'd known before. At least he was fed and clothed. At least he was provided with a weapon._

_But this duty... was the worst. Guarding the criminals from a mob that wanted only to taunt and humiliate them. They had no idea what these criminals were going through. They didn't have to stand guard, day after day, 12 hours at a time and watch them slowly go insane and – even more slowly – die. It could take weeks._

_This particular criminal seemed to be more hated than usual, judging from the extra humiliation they were giving him. And the man wasn't even a murderer, or thief, or adulterer! He was only a radical. He could see that the crowd didn't like his ideas. Or maybe they were just disappointed in him. He couldn't tell. _

_He did what he'd done so many times before, for so many of the slowly dying: he put on his Ugly Roman act, shouted a few Latin obscenities, and thrust his sword into the man's side. But not quite far enough, to his horror, only penetrating the lung - not the heart. He watched as phlegm and blood poured from the wound: the man would probably live several more hours. But he didn't dare do it again, that would look suspicious. They were SUPPOSED to suffer, after all._

_All he could do was stand there and guard. But for some reason, he looked up into the eyes of the poor radical he'd just mortally wounded. The man nodded curtly at him through his pain: I understand. Thank you._

_The Soldier tore his hazel-colored eyes away from the dying man and jerked his head forward to face the crowd; away from the horrible, understanding, forgiving eyes. He understood? _

_The whole world would revile the Soldier for what he had done, and who he had done it to. He would be vilified, his very name would eventually become a curse, and his action would never, NEVER be forgotten. All because no one – no one else – understood: anything, ANYTHING one could do to shorten a man's time up on the cross, was doing him a favor._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The sword Sara thought she saw dissolved back into dust motes and shadows, the rage drained from Ron's face, and he collapsed on top of her, sobbing. Kim and Sheaghen could only stand back in wonder of what had happened. Sara managed to pull her arms out from under herself and wrap them around Ron's back, patting and consoling him.

"It's all right, Ron. Comrade. It's all right..." she repeated over and over.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

It had taken an hour to clean up Ron and bandage all his cuts. It was another hour before he could stop crying. In all that time, the phone never rang with news of Josh. They all felt absolutely helpless, and suffered it in silence.

"Helooooo! Anyone home? It's meeeee." Someone was shouting at the hangar bay door.

Ron looked up. "Josh?"

"Heeeelllloooooo! Ron? Kim? Sheg- uh, Sara? Hellooo-"

"_JOSH!" _Ron screamed and bolted out of the locker-room before even Sheaghen could blink.

Seeing Ron – red-soaked bandages across half his face, and many places on the rest of his body – stunned Josh, and he could only stand there, mouth open, eyes wide, as his boyfriend came running.

"_JOSH!'_ Ron cried, lifting the other boy off his feet and nearly squeezing the life out of him.

He choked "R- Ron... huh... ah..."

Finally Ron put him down and loosened his bear-hug just enough to let Josh breathe.

"Ron?" Josh tried to talk between pants, "the... hell... happened... to you?"

Kim answered instead, "It's a long story, Josh. We... we were all worried about you. And, well, some more than others... I mean... oh, gawd, I can't believe I said that..."

Josh smiled over the blonde head still buried in his shoulder. "I think I understand. But, did someone attack him or something? I mean -"

Sara spoke up, "I did Josh. I did all that stuff to him. Like Kim said, it's a long story. I had to. There's... there's a lot we need to talk about.. I saw something, I think, uh... about Ron. And – well, it can wait. Welcome back, Josh." She gave him a fretful hug, unsure of how he might react to what she'd said. This made the second time Josh had caught her damaging his lover. How many times would he put up with?

But he could tell from the way she'd said it – this situation was different. "It's okay, Shego... uh, dammit, I mean, 'Sara' -"

"Y'know what?" Sara said to them all, frowning, "Let's go back to 'Shego'. As long as you _know_ my real name, I can deal. What I _can't _deal with is all the 'Sheg – uh, Sara' all the DAMN time! That okay with everyone?"

Kim beamed. Josh nodded and smiled. Sheaghen smirked and shrugged. Ron remained buried in Josh's neck.

"Uh, Ron? Earth to Ron? Hellooo Rooonnnn..." Shego teased.

"... fife wiff meh" came Ron's muffled response.

Josh pushed Ron off and held him by the shoulders, looking into his un-bandaged eye.

"I missed you too, Ace" he said, kissing him on the bare side of his forehead. The girls all observed Ron's single exposed cheek begin to blush.

"I bet there's a _story_ behind those cute nicknames you guys have, isn't there... 'Skeeter'", Kim teased. Upon which Josh blushed, too.

"Uh. Yeah. But listen... I'm not alone. I brought... uh, Lee gave me something, and I brought – uh, _it_ – with me."

Ron became all seriousness, "You brought something _from Lee_ here? Are you... are you CRAZY?"

The Kim and Shego looked at each other, then shared a glance with Sheaghen as well. They knew all about "crazy".

"No, Ron, I'm not. I... I think it could help us understand Lee better, and that'd be a good thing, right? Only, well... it's a person. Lee gave me a slave." He was going to put off telling them _who_ the slave was as long as possible.

Sheaghen, perhaps more sensitive to the word "slave" than the others, said, "Do you have any idea how disgusting that sounds? A 'slave'?"

"Yeah, well... she's been told to obey me in all ways, and to always tell me the truth, and never hide anything. 'Slave' seemed to fit."

"You mean like the way _you're_ hiding something?" Ron said suspiciously.

Well, so much for "as long as possible". "It's, uh... it's Ko."

Stunned silence.

Josh yelled, "C'mon in, Ko!", and she walked purposefully to his side from where she had been standing out of their view beside the hangar.

Kim thrust her head forward, face unbelieving: "THAT'S Ko?" She turned to look at Shego, who had closed her eyes and lowered her head in shame. Shego nodded yes. "Holy Fuck!" Kim cried. Everyone looked at her, even Ko herself. "I mean... uh... holy fuck!" Kim had imagined Ko to be good-looking, but not... not like _that_. "... holy fu-"

"OKAY! KP, we get it. 'Holy fuck'. We know. Geez. And girls think _men_ are shallow..." Ron chided her.

"Uh... sorry" Kim said, abashed. _Holy fuck!_, she thought. Standing next to Ko, Kim felt almost like a boy.

"So Josh, how do you know she doesn't have a bomb inside her or something, and is about to blow 'Team Possible' to bits?" Ron asked in all earnestness. The presence of Ko was making him nervous.

Josh answered carefully, "Because that's not part... I mean, that's not how Lee works. It just isn't. I can't explain."

Now Shego was suspicious, "Why not?"

Josh looked at her, "Because Dr. Director showed me both her eyes and told me not to. 'Kay?"

"Uh, yeah" "_Both of..." _"All I need." "Works for me." Sheaghen only giggled.

Ron still wanted more. "Okay, we'll give you that. What is it, exactly, we're going to learn from her?"

"I dunno, Ace" Josh answered, "I don't do people and emotions and hidden motivations and stuff. That's _your_ job" he said pointedly.

"It is? Am I getting a reputation?"

"Duh" Kim said. "Doy" Shego said. "What they said" Josh added. Sheaghen only giggled.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Josh drove them all to the Royal Palace Hotel in Satan's Land-Rover. The license plate read "CNT Y0R BLSNGS" Shego had Ko take the middle-row seat, so that she and Kim could keep an eye on her. Ron and Josh rode up front.

The hotel had cold and cold running water. It was fairly up-scale, for Venezuela. A heater in the shower-head was wired to the electricity, the splices wrapped with electrical tape. They were all starving-hungry, although if Ko was, she didn't say anything.

"You guy bring me back something... I don't wanna go out like this" Ron said motioning to his many bandages.

Shego sighed. "Uhm... Ron? Could I see you privately? In there?" She pointed to one of the two bedrooms of the suite.

"I s'pose. May I ask what for?"

"Well... I think I can, uh, use my powers to get you healed up."

"Shego!" Kim looked at her in shock, "Why didn't you mention that before? We've changed those bandages twice now, and you never -"

"It's kind of a... private thing, Kim. At least, I think it will be. I'm not even sure it'll work. But if it does it's gonna be, uh... personal."

"How personal?" Kim wanted to know. Ron did too, though he didn't say anything.

"SO personal" Shego answered without humor.

Ron began to feel uncomfortable with the idea. After Shego had shared her most intimate moments with Ko without batting an eye, he could only imagine what she might think of as "SO personal".

"Uh, maybe that's not such a -" Ron tried to weasel out.

Shego only sighed, turned, and took his hand to lead him into the bedroom, "Oh, c'mon, comrade. You'll get over it."

She had to pull him into the room like a dog visiting the vet. She closed the door behind them.

"Uh, Shego, I'll be okay... you don't -"

"Shut-up, Ron. And take off all your clothes." She began peeling off her body-suit.

"Uh..."

"I said, 'Shut-up, Ron'."

Both of them nude, she began to remove his bandages. Blood still flowed as she pulled them off.

"Is there a reason we have to be naked for this?"

"You'd rather have your clothes and Band-Aids burned off?"

"Ah. I see."

"Okay, now stand on my suit here. Right. Okay. Like I said, I dunno if this is going to work, but if it does, I think we should just... not say anything about what... what happens" she looked into his eyes, "Okay?"

"One question?"

She sighed. "Shoot."

"You don't have to do this. Why are you?"

She thought about it. "Because you would."

He nodded. She put her arms around him, pulling him tight, and he did the same. He pulled her hair to the side so he could see: he was facing the dresser/bathroom end of the room. Shego was facing the bed and wall behind. They stood there pressed together, cheek-to-ear. Shego began to softly glow. Soon, his body began to glow as well, and green light filled the room.

_It was... confusing. He was far too embarrassed to get an erection, even with the feel of her soft breasts on his bloody chest... but even so, her warmth was erotic, and he became aware of her penis pressing against his vulva, while his nipples stiffened and – waitaminnit. The pain was dissipating. But he was facing the bed. That wasn't right. But... _

_And... _

_He/She closed his/her eyes; seeing both ends of the room at once was something his/her occipital lobes weren't evolved to handle, and it actually hurt trying. Same thing with sorting out what he/she was physically feeling. The human brain couldn't deal with being in two separate bodies at the same time, and their physical differences only added to the painful confusion. He/She felt dizzy and faintly sick._

_The glow was mercury-vapor bright now, the light seeped out from under the door and around the cracks in the frame. The spectators on the other side watched and wondered._

_The union was complete. The pain was gone. Only the blood remained. He/She knew it was time to separate, but for two things: he/she didn't want to, and he/she didn't know how. The experience was not sexual, it was not love, it was not even comradeship. It was just... an indescribable sense of SHARING, of not being ALONE, in a way he/she hadn't known they even WERE alone before. He/She, and everybody else, had always enjoyed – and valued - the sanctuary of their own minds, the most Private Place, but that was only because they COULDN'T share it. And now, he/she was. And it was good._

_But it had to end. IT HAD TO END! _

_He/She tried to trick him/herself. He/She thought of Kim, Josh... no help there. Lee, Drakken, Dr. Director, Margaret Thatcher... no use. Their minds were melted together like water infused with oil. Except that in this case, the oil COULD actually dissolve in the water, and become part of it. And if that happened, they would never be able to part._

_And that was about to happen, he/she could feel it. Perhaps it was happening already._

_He/She could feel the other in their arms, although the mere awareness brought a knife-like pain into his/her brain. He/She could force them apart. Maybe physical separation would lead to mental separation. It was worth a try, but – as he/she tried to reposition their four arms, the pain became incredible. Finally, hands on each other's shoulders, the pain excruciating, he/she pushed._

The light went out. They thumped onto the floor, the both of them leaving burn marks, silhouettes of their bodies singed into the fibers of the carpet. But they were Separate, again. Ron and Shego raised up on their elbows and just looked at each other for a long while, feeling the loneliness inside they hadn't known was there. But the memory of what it was like to _not_ feel that loneliness was like a dream, and it was quickly fading.

"You okay?", one of them said. It didn't matter which.

"Yeah."

They helped each other up and dressed in silence. Shego stepped into his boxers while Ron slipped her bra over his head. At the same time, they stopped and stared: at the boxers, the bra, and then each other. It wasn't a sign of anything gone wrong, they were Separate, they were themselves. But apparently, they would have to make a conscious effort to remember which one they _were_, at least for awhile.

They both began to laugh - at themselves, as much as each other.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP


	29. Chapter 29: Target Ron

They helped each other up and dressed in silence. Shego stepped into his boxers while Ron slipped her bra over his head. At the same time, they stopped and stared: at the boxers, the bra, and then each other. It wasn't a sign of anything gone wrong, they were Separate, they were themselves. But apparently, they would have to make a conscious effort to remember which one they _were_, at least for awhile.

They both began to laugh - at themselves, as much as each other.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Once they had both cleaned off the blood and dressed, they stepped out into the main room of the suite again, to be stared at by everybody, including Ko.

Kim was first, "So... uh..."

Josh: "I take it it worked?"

Sheaghen added, "You two okay? You look... weird."

Shego spoke for herself and Ron, "It was a 'weird' experience. But yeah, we'll... I mean, he'll be okay now. And as for me, if I thought I was hungry before..."

Ron finished for her, "I'm _starving_ now. I say we eat!" It was also a ruse, of course, an attempt to stop the questions.

"What about her?" Kim pointed to Ko.

_Ko was living a nightmare. Bad enough to be trapped, enslaved by this "Josh", bad enough to become re-acquainted with Shego and the girl who was apparently her lover... bad enough this Sheaghen, who she couldn't quite make out, somehow. Now there was this Ron person, obviously Josh's lover, which only made both boys all that much more fascinating and... attractive... to her! She couldn't deny the attraction – she'd never had to deal with it before. Nothing in her training had prepared her for this. And her life had been nothing but training. She was not SUPPOSED to be put in situations like this! It could ruin her! Didn't Lee know -_

_The Pain hit with that thought, and she cringed inwardly. Outwardly, she only blinked._

_She returned to her train of thought, slightly modified: Bad enough the two pairs of lovers and the strange Sheaghen. The worst part was how they all interacted with each other. Each one seemed to have his or her place, and knew the places of each of the others. Perhaps, she thought hopefully, this was the information she was put here to gather, perhaps Lee would rescue her from this situation before... before... before what?_

_What she didn't dare think was: Before she could wonder what she'd missed._

"I imagine she has to eat too. Spawn of the Devil or not" Josh said, and turned to Ko, who still hadn't spoken to anyone but him, "You hungry, Ko?"

"Yes" she replied, safely staring into space again.

"Then it's unanimous. We shall go -" Josh began, only to be interrupted by a somewhat perturbed Sheaghen.

"What am I? Chopped liver?"

They all looked at her awkwardly, then Kim took her hand and Shego's at the same time, and began walking toward the door. "I _know_ you're not hungry, Sheaghen, but you can come, too."

"I can eat, y'know. And drink an' everything" Sheaghen said peevishly.

Ron raised a now-undamaged eyebrow, "You can? But... where does -"

"RON!" Kim cried. "We don't want to know! Okay? She can eat if she wants. Can we just go, please, before something else happens?"

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When in Venezuela, one ate like Venezuelans did. And apparently, Venezuelans ate a _lot _of beef. They'd all ordered combo or sampler platters of some kind (Josh ordered for Ko, who professed not to care) and between them, they ended up with what seemed like half a cow at their table. Shego ordered a bottle of Blue Nun for herself (which she shared with Kim), while Sheaghen split a pitcher of beer with the boys. Ko drank water.

They talked – carefully, because of Ko – about work, and then about the various things that had happened to each of them when separated from the others. Kim and Josh tried desperately to worm _something_ out of Shego and Ron about what had happened between them, to no avail. "It was NOT anything sexual!" was all they got. In the friendly conversation, they took turns embarrassing each other. Except for Sheaghen, who simply delighted in embarrassing them all.

Ko sat stone-faced at the end of the table, Kim on one side and Josh on the other. But it was wearing on her, the Ice-Queen act. The five others were enjoying each other's company so much, and she could have too, maybe, if the situation had been different. If she weren't a Slic. That hurt. It was a kind of pain – one amongst many – she'd grown used to, but there were _five_ of them, and they were so... _comfortable_ with each other. They didn't hide anything or try to manipulate each other... they laughed at themselves when the others laughed at them. They traded insults, double-ententres, and blatant sexual-innuendo filled remarks like candy. It was as if... as if they were almost _deliberately_ showing-off what they had, what had been taken away from her by Lee -

The Pain was debilitating this time, and Ko put her hands to her temples in a vain attempt to stop it. Her eyes squeezed shut and tears fell down her cheeks as it went on and on and on...

"Ko?" Kim turned to her. Oddly, Kim felt no animosity towards Ko, though she felt sure she should. It was obvious that Ko was a tool of Lee, that she'd used Shego, played her like a violin. Somehow, though, Kim didn't blame her. After all, Kim was used to dealing with villains doing what villains do. Shego had been a villain.

After what seemed like hours, but was really only 20 seconds, the pain subsided, and Ko was able to open her eyes to find everyone staring at her. She took her hands off her temples and put them on her lap, trying to appear calm. She went back into her stone-faced look because she couldn't think of anything else to do.

Josh felt a pang of guilt about being the girl's "master". "Ko, you can talk to them too. Not just to me." Then Josh had another idea, if Lee could make _him_ Ko's "master", then _he_ could as easily spread the responsibility around, couldn't he?

"Look at me, Ko." She turned her eyes to Josh. She knew what was coming, and it terrified her.

"I order you -"

"Josh! Stop!" Ron cried. "Don't do it!"

Josh looked at him in surprise, as did everyone else.

"Think about it, Josh" Ron explained, "she already has two masters. Lee may be letting you pretend to be her master, but he could always take that away. Whereas I doubt that you could order her to _not_ to obey Lee anymore. Anyway, she doesn't need five more. I... it's just something I feel. I think Ko is... I think she's been conditioned. She's not just your 'slave' out of devotion to Lee or because it's her 'job' to obey or anything... I don't think she can help it."

"Mind-control?" Shego asked with a subtle shiver. Ever since Drakken's Compliance Chips, she'd developed an intense distaste for anything that smacked of this.

Ron went on, "Uh, not... well, yeah. But different from the Compliance Chips. I mean, under the control of the Chips, we could still think our own thoughts, right? We couldn't help our _actions_, but our inner selves were still safe. She's been _conditioned_, or brain-washed... whatever you want to call it. She _can't_ think her own thoughts. Or at least, not without going through what we just saw happen."

Ko closed her eyes simply because she couldn't bear to keep them open anymore. The rest of the group looked at her with pity. Even Shego.

Ko began to cry, Ice-Queen no more.

"Uh, let's get you to the ladies' room, okay?" Shego said scooting her chair out.

That broke Ko out of herself, "No! I mean...", she knew someone would have to watch her, she knew she wasn't trusted. She knew she _shouldn't_ be trusted. "Could... could Sheaghen go with me?" Sheaghen was the one member of the group she couldn't figure out, and that kept her distant, and that was a good thing.

Five pairs of eyes – well, four pairs of eyes, and two optical-sensors – exchanged glances. Sheaghen got up. "Sure, sweet-heart, I'll go with ya. C'mon."

Sheaghen put Ko in a stall and stood waiting outside, listening to her cry. _I wonder why she asked for me?_

The dark-skinned teenage woman cried for quite a long time. Four times other women came in, were greeted with dirty-looks and sarcastic remarks from Sheaghen, and promptly left.

"You about done in there, Ko?"

She could hear sniffles, toilet-paper being un-rolled, a nose being blown. "Yes, I think so." Ko hoped Sheaghen wouldn't ask her what she was crying about, because thinking about it would bring the Pain again. She'd let herself cry specifically so she _wouldn't_ think about why.

Ko opened the stall door and went to the sink to wash her face. Sheaghen sat on the counter next to her, swinging her feet.

"So, Ko... why'd you want _me_ to come, anyway?"

"Because something is different about you. You're strange, somehow... and I just... I just felt more comfortable with you than with... well, one of them."

Sheaghen frowned, "That's actually a little insulting, but I'll letcha get away with it. I'm a machine, Ko. A 'syntho-drone'. Y'know, like Data, or the Terminator... HAL 9000 with tits. But I like to think no one can tell. At least, I _used_ to like to think that."

"Data? Terminator? I don't understand."

"God, you _have_ led a sheltered life, haven't ya? Well, you know what a 'robot' is, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, I'm a robot."

"Really?"

Sheaghen's frown became a grin. She jumped down, pulled down her slacks and hopped back on the counter, spreading her legs. There was absolutely nothing to see, of course, which is why underwear would have been just silly. "Yeah, really. Believe me now?"

Ko was actually speechless, both inside and out. Her face had an expression that would have belonged on a 5-year-old boy, in similar circumstances.

Sheaghen laughed hard. "God! That was SO cool! I wish I could do that more often! Absolutely priceless, it was!"

Ko remained as before.

"Calm down now, sweet-heart. I know it's a shock. Truth is, I'm thinking of doing something about it, one of these days. Think I should?" Sheaghen smiled evilly as she waited for a response.

"Uh..."

Sheaghen laughed continuously as she pulled her clothes back up, and led Ko back to the table where the others were waiting.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Ron, as befitting his new role in the group, led the questioning. Kim, Shego, and Sheaghen were on the couch. Josh was in a normal hotel-room type of chair, while Ron stood. Ko, the center of the show, had the other hotel-chair, at the end of the living-room. Ko was serene and comfortable. They were going to ask her questions, and she had been ordered to answer. This would be easy. This was a relief.

"Why do you work for Lee?"

"Because He is my Master."

"How did he become your 'master'?"

"He has always been my Master."

_Okay, dead line of questioning. Either she doesn't remember or she was too young..._ Ron let that line of thought drop, too awful to finish.

"Why did you become involved with Shego?"

Shego hung her head down. She knew it would come around to her, eventually. Kim put her arm around her shoulders and give her a squeeze. "It's okay, sweet-heart" she whispered.

"Because I was ordered to."

"By Lee?"

"Yes."

"I see. Did you succeed? Was he happy with your work?"

"Yes, I did succeed. I do not know if he was 'happy' with my work."

"Did... do you enjoy your work?" Ron was trying to lead up to questions beyond "yes" or "no".

"I take pride in my work."

_Ah-ha! There's something._ "But did you _enjoy_ it?"

"I only enjoy doing a job well."

"And you did. You did do your job well, is that right?"

"Yes."

Ron thought about that. Then he had an astounding insight, "Are you attracted to Shego, Ko?"

"No."

Shego's head lifted to stare at the girl in bewilderment. She wasn't? She sure _seemed_...

"Are you attracted to women at all?"

"No."

Shego's mouth dropped open.

"Have you..." Ron paused. He was onto something, if only he asked the right questions... Or, no. Perhaps the questions were the problem!

"Ko, please describe the kind of work you do."

She did. It took fifteen minutes. During her answer, the word "Slic" slipped in.

"Now, tell us what a 'Slic' is."

She did that, too. And as she did, Shego left the room with Kim chasing after her. Sheaghen watched them both with strange interest.

Ron considered his next question. He hoped it wouldn't hurt her. Despite his suspicions, he was beginning to feel truly sorry for the girl.

"What happens to you when you disobey Lee, Ko?"

"I do not disobey Lee."

"Well, what would happen if you did?"

"I would experience the Pain."

"What kind... uh, tell us about the pain, Ko."

So she described it as best she could. Part of it was physical, like razor-blades of ice in her skull. But part of it was worse, because it wasn't physical. It was mental, it was made of vague but foreboding feelings and inarticulate terrors that had no explanation. A kind of pain that could make her feel insane. Truly insane people didn't know it, and were thus spared at least that. But to _know_ your mind was sick, or damaged, _that_ king of pain was unbearable.

Ko explained it all calmly, as if reciting a badly-memorized poem. Ron could feel the truth of it, but couldn't figure out how she could describe it so... detached.

At this point, Josh, too, left the room. Josh had a particular loathing for torture, mental or physical, and didn't want to hear more. He joined Kim and Shego in their bedroom, un-self-consciously.

Ron continued questioning. Yes, he felt pity for poor Ko as well, and yes, many of her answers hurt him deeply. But he was beginning to see how it could be undone. He could undo the Devil's handiwork. How impressive would _that_ be?

But it might be... hard. He asked Sheaghen to leave, as well.

"No" she said.

Ron looked at her intensely, both angry and surprised by her flat refusal. No? Why not? What did the affairs of us "meat-bags" matter at all to her, anyway? Still, she had said "No". Ron realized his pride might be getting the better of him, and did not press the matter.

He went on with the interrogation.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

They all heard Ko scream, but no one got up to do anything about it. Sheaghen and Ron were still in there, and none of them were quite brave enough to intrude on whatever it was Ron was doing. They just hoped he would stop.

Apparently, he did, because within a minute Sheaghen was leading a staggering Ron into the bedroom where they'd all gathered. Josh was on his feet in a second, taking Sheaghen's place at his side.

"What happened? We heard her scream..." he said.

Ron looked into his eyes for a long time before answering, "I can do it, Josh. I know... I know how I can break her conditioning. I could set her free. Josh... I could..."

Josh could tell there was more to it than that. Ron's condition was not that of someone who'd just achieved a success. "But...?"

"But... I'd basically have to do to her what Lee did in the first place. All over again. She... she could stand it, I can tell, and afterwards, she'd be _free. _ Josh! Can you imagine? She wouldn't have to obey _anyone_ anymore!"

"You'd have to... do what Lee did to her?" Josh asked, to be sure he'd heard right.

"Basically. I'd have to take his place, I'd have to... to _think_ like him... wouldn't that be something?"

The pieces fell into place in Josh's mind. _THAT_ was why Ko was here! THAT was Lee's reason! She was a bomb, all right - more like a missile - and the target was Ron!

"You can't do it Ron! I see it now! That's why she's here! That's why Lee gave her to me! He's playing on _your_ weakness, Ron! We'd all be impressed, wouldn't we, if you could set poor Ko free... You... you want that, don't you... for us to be impressed...?"

"I... _my_ weakness? You mean I'd... do what he wants... in order to impress...?" Ron, already shocked, got another one.

"Look at you, Ron. Even _I_ can tell that whatever you've been doing to her has... is changing you. Can't you feel it? How much would it affect _you_ if you were to, uh, 'break her conditioning'?"

Ron looked down. _Will I NEVER get the chance to make him proud of me? _"You're right, Josh. It would change me... I can see that. And I _would_ have done it, just to impress you -"

"Well, I was thinking of 'us', as in all of -"

"No, Josh..." Ron interrupted. It was true. It was all true, and he'd have done it too, if Sheaghen hadn't stopped him, suggesting – insisting - he take a break and talk to them. But he didn't really care that much about impressing _all_ of them...

"You. I'd have done it just to impress _you_. I would have. You're... you're sure that was his plan?"

"It fits, Ron. That's... um, that's all I can say. You were the target..."

"Then that's good enough for me" Ron said, still shaky and now ashamed of himself as well.

Josh was still thinking out loud, "... which means he thinks you're dangerous. Dangerous enough to expend a weapon like Ko to kill – or damage, or render harmless... whatever." He looked at Ron in a new light. "You already impress me every day, Ron. You don't need to worry about that. I don't know how else to say it... But... why would he think you're so... such a danger?"

"I may have a idea about that" Shego said from the far corner of the bed.

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	30. Chapter 30: Don't Ask

Josh was still thinking out loud, "... which means he thinks you're dangerous. Dangerous enough to expend a weapon like Ko to kill – or damage, or render harmless... whatever." He looked at Ron in a new light. "You already impress me every day, Ron. You don't need to worry about that. I don't know how else to say it... But... why would he think you're so... such a danger?"

"I may have a idea about that" Shego said from the far corner of the bed.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Sheaghen spoke up before anyone else could say anything, "Shouldn't we be keeping an eye on Ko, people?"

They had left her in the living room alone. They all looked at each other, and got up to go back to their previous positions there, but Ron caught hold of Josh's arm as he passed. He wanted a short private word, first.

After they were all gone, Ron closed the door behind them. "Josh... did you mean it when you said that I impressed you every day?"

Josh put his hands on Ron's hips, "Yes, I did. You do. I mean it. I... please don't ask me how, I can't explain it. It's not just the way you can see into people – your 'super-power' or whatever..." He touched his forehead to his boyfriend's, "I don't know what it is, Ace. It's those things and... other stuff... the way you make me feel..."

Ron said softly, "Remember that time I was showing you those charts and stuff I made up and -"

"... and I said you sucked at it. Yeah, I remember." Josh closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He had no idea it had hurt him that much... that was _months_ ago! "I made a joke at your expense and it was cruel of me. I really didn't mean it like that, Ace. I thought we made up on that..."

"We did. Just checking."

"_Just checking?"_ Josh backed up and looked into Ron's newly-hazel eyes, "Just checking? Oh, you!"

Ron turned to open the bedroom door, smiling to himself. He'd gotten what he'd needed.

Ko was right where they'd left her, except her head was between her knees. Sheaghen brought her a glass of Shego's wine, while Ron kneeled next to her.

"Ko?" he said, "I'm sorry I did that to you... made the Pain come. I won't do it again. Promise."

Through puffy eyes Ko looked up at him questioningly. Here was another new thing: someone who _could_ hurt her, but wasn't _requiring_ her to do anything so they _wouldn't. _It took her awhile to comprehend. Finally she sat up straight, and tried to put on the Stone face again, but it wouldn't come... it just _wouldn't come_, and so she just let her face be whatever it would be. They already knew she was in there anyway. And they didn't seem to hold anything against her. She didn't understand, _couldn't_ understand, but there was no use acting anymore.

Ron got up and found a chair.

Shego started. She told the story of Crazy Ron, the clumsiness of his attack, combined with his inexplicable power and speed. Then the sword.

Through it all, Ron just looked out the window at the slum-lights of Caracas on the hillsides. Josh watched him, and Kim handed him a box of tissues to wipe his eyes.

"... and that's what I saw. What I think I saw. Ron?" Shego finished.

"I'd rather not talk about it" he said without looking.

Everyone exchanged glances in silence.

Finally Ron did talk about it.

"It's... Okay, I don't know how the sword got there. I don't know how I did that... it was just there, and _do not_ ask me about it. The sword is... private." He shot Shego a glance, not knowing how much she knew from their union. "It's a painful memory... Okay?"

They all nodded.

"That's all I have: pieces of memories. Back before – before Shego zapped me – I didn't have them, but I had _feelings_ from them. I don't know how else to explain it. And I didn't know where they were coming from, or even what they were. But I learned to listen to them, with the help of a Tibetan monk who ran a Zen temple in Middleton. He... he taught me a lot. It was him who showed me how to make my own bad dreams go away, when Kim was... was in the hospital."

"And that's what you did to me?" Shego asked.

"Yeah. Well, sort of. It was just a trick, Shego. There was nothing 'super-natural' about it. All the ceremony, the water, exposing your, uh, breasts like that, all just a trick – to take your mind off... other things. The only part that _really_ made the dreams go away was sleeping with Kim that night. That was what you needed." He paused to check reactions from her and Kim – they didn't seem angry at being "tricked".

"I'm sorry I played a trick on you, but I'm glad it worked. Are we okay?"

"Yeah." "We're okay, Ron" the girls said quietly.

"So anyway, after she zapped me, I had... I had a lot of _really_ clear dreams. I mean, dreams without anything dream-like in them. A _lot_ of them, where I would be different men and women in different places at different times, and -"

"Uhm, _women_?" Kim cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, men _and_ women. Straight _and_ gay _and_ in between, as well. All different races, too. Once I was an Australian aborigine, I think – you know how incredibly black they are – and several times Asian, black-African, American – I think- Indian... I was a lesbian woman that time, by the way, Kim... you wanted to know how long I'd been a lesbian. All different races. All different kinds of people. I dunno how many... maybe... a hundred? Maybe a couple hundred? I really have no idea."

"And you remember all these lives?" Josh asked.

"No, that's just it, I don't. I get snippets, from time to time. It's not like I can sit down and think 'now, whatever happened after I went on that tiger-hunt that time...' I can only remember bits and pieces, and they only come when they want to, not when I try to think about them. It's like _deja-vu_, except I can remember – since I was zapped – exactly _why_ I feel it.

Shego took a chance, "So, you _do_ know where the sword came from, then..."

He looked steadily at her, "No. I don't."

She blinked slowly. "You can't lie to _me_, Comrade."

Ron took a deep breath. "Okay, yes, I do, and I _WILL NOT _talk about it! Check?"

"Check" Shego replied.

Ron went on, "So, why am I like this? What's it all mean? Is it part of... of all this? I don't know. I don't know any more about it than I know... how my liver works. It just does. Maybe it'll be useful to me somehow, sometime – it _has_ been useful before, but I can't count on it. Maybe not." He looked back out the window waiting for the storm of questions. It was actually a little amusing that Kim would be shocked that he'd been a woman before. Did she really think souls – or spirits, or whatever – had gender?

No questions were coming, though. He turned back around and looked at them. "Josh? You're big on Logic. What's it all mean?"

"Thank you for that glowing endorsement, Ron" Josh said, a little coarsely.

"Sorry... I just meant... you can usually put things together that just look like random doodles, to me. That's all. So... do you get anything from what I've said?"

"I dunno, Ace. Between you and Ko and Shego and Lee and Sheaghen, all the events from the news, the place we are... I can't think straight. I really need to just relax... I almost wish I had a cigarette..."

Shego nodded to Ron to get his attention. He looked at her with brows slightly knit: _what?_ She looked intently into his eyes, and jerked her head towards Josh, then up, ever so slightly. Ron's eyebrows lifted: _you mean..._ and Shego rolled her eyes towards the ceiling; _doy!_

Ron went over to Josh's chair and took his hand. "C'mon, Josh."

"Huh?"

"C'mon." He tugged at the hand.

Josh understood suddenly. "Uh... thanks, Ace, but I _really_ don't think -"

"Oh, come _on_, Skeeter!" and Ron pulled the other boy to his feet. Josh followed him meekly to the other bedroom, blushing all the while.

"Uh, Sheaghen?" Kim said, "Maybe you'd better find something on the TV..."

Sheaghen smiled and looked at the TV, which immediately sprung to live, flipping through the channels by itself until it came to English-language news. All three girls were looking at her, though, not the TV.

"Takes one to know one" Sheaghen grinned mischeviously.

"But -" Shego began.

"Infra-red transceiver in my right eye. Cool huh? Bet you wish _you_ could do that!"

Kim sighed and said, "You are _so_ weird, Sheaghen..."

"Excuse me? Did you say '_weird_' or '_warm_'? My hearing may need upgrading..." Sheaghen's grin became perceptibly wider.

Kim did her _very_ best to ignore the question.

Thirty minutes later, Ron returned. All the girls – even Ko - looked at him wryly.

"What? Get your minds out of the gutter. All I did was give him a massage." Ron hoped he wasn't blushing too much.

Shego pursed her lips to keep from giggling, for his sake. She knew a code-word when she heard it. After all, she'd _been_ him, if only for a moment.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Josh never did think of anything useful. He was trying to assimilate the entire Big Picture, and it was too much, there were too many variables. He wasn't even sure anymore if they were in the right part of the world, or looking at the right industry! How could he, a mere mortal, be expected to second-guess Satan Himself!

They all decided to go to bed, which brought up the problem of what to do with Ko. No one want to just leave her alone in the living-room of the suite – that would be just _way_ too stupid, but no one wanted to tie her up, either. Sheaghen had the obvious solution: she would stand watch over Ko all night long. As a synth, she didn't sleep, anyway, so no bother to her.

At four in the morning, Josh _very_ suddenly sat straight up, throwing Ron – whose head was resting low on his chest – completely off the bed and onto the floor.

"HELICOPTERS!" Josh cried. He looked around. Where was Ron?

"Ron?" he called out, "Ace? You in the bath -"

"I'm down here, Josh" Ron groaned, "On the floor." He muttered a few curses under his breath.

"What are you doing down there?" Josh asked innocently.

Ron grunted as he got to his feet. "Oh, nothing, Josh. Nothing at all" he frowned, "you said something about helicopters?"

"Yeah. Yeah! We need to take a look at whoever rents helicopters around here. Y'know, like they use to go around to all the platforms on the lake? Whatever Lee is planning to do, he'll need helicopters to do it. It's the standard way of moving things around out there. Especially if you're in a hurry, and you can afford it."

Ron was rubbing the back of his head and tail bone at the same time. "So why would he have to rent one? He'd have his own, wouldn't he?"

Josh was pulling his clothes on frantically. "Probably, but I bet these oil companies are pretty careful who they let land on their platforms. And besides, renting transportation has always been the best way to keep a low profile, or do things you don't want people to know you're involved with. It all fits, Ron! Lee _will_ be using helicopters, or at least _a_ helicopter. There'll be records! If only we can figure out which one!"

Josh was having trouble with his zipper. "Call Wade, tell 'im what I said. See if there's anything he can do."

"It'll help if you get your shirt-tail out of there" Ron said, still standing naked, but smiling.

"Oh, yeah" -zip-, "I gotta go wake up the girls." And with that, he was out of the room.

Ron sighed happily. It was great to see Josh so excited. _About work, I mean, _he thought.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

He burst into their bedroom: "Kim! Sheg – uh, I mean Sara... I mean, Shego! Wake up! We've got work to do! It came to me in the middle of the night, see! The answer is... uh..." He stopped to stare.

Shego was twisted up in the sheets in a way only a cat could envy, a way that seemed, on the surface of it, humanly impossible. Kim lay entwined with her almost as apparently awkwardly, yet both had obviously been asleep. Asleep? In those positions? Arms and legs were everywhere, hair – red/orange and black - was everywhere, pillows were scattered about randomly. It looked like someone had but them both in a blender and then dumped them out onto the bed after a few seconds on the "chop" setting.

Josh quickly turned his back.

"Uh... sorry. I... uh..." he stammered.

"What... time is it?" Shego muttered sleepily.

Josh didn't dare turn around to look at the alarm clock next to the bed. He heard rustling and grunting, and Kim finally said, "Four fifteen".

"Bloody fuckin' hell" came the other girl's reply.

Swallowing, Josh said, "I'll... I'll meet you in the living room. It's... please hurry... and, uh, sorry about barging in like that..."

He heard Kim giggle as he closed the door. "At least he didn't say 'Morning, Sunshine!'"

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	31. Chapter 31: The Can Opener

Everyone began preparing for a mission: mission-clothes, utility-belts, Sheaghen and Shego in almost-matching body-suits... only Josh felt a bit left out, having no special clothes, tools, or gear to attend to. But that was okay – Josh wasn't going.

"Whaddaya mean 'I'm not going' !" he asked loudly when Ron told him.

"Josh... I'm sorry. You're not... I mean..." Ron stammered, desperately trying not to hurt his lover's feelings.

Kim stepped in, "You're not cut out for this, Josh, is what he's trying to say. I hate to put it that way, too... but, think about it, Josh... are you? You know the kind of stuff we do. Is that your... thing?"

"Well... Ron's been teaching me -"

Ron interrupted, "Yeah, I have, and _I'm_ only a sidekick. Kim – and I guess Shego now, too – handle the tough stuff. My role is kind of... well, accidental. That seems to be what I'm good at."

"Bullshit, Ron, I saw what you did in the -" Josh began, only to be cut off again.

"Yeah, but I can't count on that. Kim and Shego _can_ count on their abilities. I'm like a random factor – that's what I do, that's what I am. Besides..." Ron didn't finish the sentence.

" '_Besides_' what?" Josh prompted.

Kim took over to finish the thought, "Besides... well, frankly, Josh, we've been told to keep you out of harm's way. By Dr. Director. She called me on my Communicator when you were kidnapped, and she seemed... well, she was panicked. Can you imagine? The Director, panicked? Apparently you're a little too valuable to risk. She wouldn't say why."

Josh glared at her, then at Ron, and finally at Shego, who nodded her agreement.

"So you... you all knew this? You've all been talking about me? Behind my back?" he turned Ron, "Well?"

"Yeah. Josh... I don't know what's going on, either. I don't know what you did back at GJ while I was in Hong Kong, and apparently I'm not supposed to know. None of us know why we're supposed to protect you at all costs. That's what we were told... But if the Director said that, there's a reason. And we will. Well, _I _sure will, anyway."

"Me too" Kim said seriously.

"And me" Shego added, no trace of sarcasm in her voice.

Josh of course knew, and could see the point of it, and that the Director was probably right... but that didn't make it any easier.

"So I'm supposed to sit here and twiddle my thumbs? While you're out there doing god knows what?"

Kim said, "You're supposed to stay close to your Communicator, and in contact with Wade. If we need you, we'll know how to get to you."

"Well, that's just fuckin' great. I'm supposed to sit by the phone, basically. I'll be _real_ helpful that way..." Josh was resigned to his fate now. If something happened to Ron, what would he do? Call an ambulance? It was _so_ unfair.

Ron took both of Josh's hands in his, and looked into his eyes intently, "Look... I don't like it either... I wish... Well, I wish..."

Josh pulled him tight into a hug. "Yeah, I wish too." He pulled back to look his lover in the eyes, "You be careful... right?"

"I'll be careful, Josh. Skeeter."

"Ace."

His other job would be to keep an eye on Ko – though none of them would say it. Ko still couldn't be trusted. It wasn't her fault, they knew, but she couldn't, none the less.

Wade called back before they'd managed to leave the room. He'd been busy - within 15 minutes he'd narrowed down the list of suspicious flights to just a dozen, and by the time Team Possible had found transportation (Shego's GJ Identity/Credit card proved invaluable, along with the threat of her glowing hands), Wade had it narrowed down to one.

Petroleum Helicopters, Inc, had a record of a flight into an abandoned field of gas-platforms. The clincher was that it was Sikorsky flight – a cargo chopper. And the cargo was unlisted. It just felt right.

So it was decided: Kim and Sheaghen would investigate the whatever they found on the abandoned well-head, while Shego and Ron piloted the chopper.

Petroleum Helicopters hadn't wanted to give them the machine - which was when the threat of Shego's powers had come in so handy - because of Hurricane Sheila, about to make landfall from the Caribbean. The winds were still only breezy when they took off, but they were increasing steadily.

"Didja see the look in that guy's eyes?" Shego said to Ron, referring to her threat to use her plasma if the on-duty pilot didn't get out, "And all you're boyfriend could say when he saw it was 'Cool...'. Unbelievable!"

"Got Meteor?" Ron chided her.

"So, play any chopper games?" Shego asked him.

"Not one. Doesn't matter, though. The avionics are basically the same. You can teach me the controls, right?"

"Not this time, Comrade. WAY different. I'm sure you can find something to do, even so. Like navigate."

"Roger on that."

The winds were up to around 30 knots by the time they reached the well-head. They could see a large square box, cargo-netting still wrapped around it and tied to the platform's eye-bolts. But the platform was too small to land on, with the 15-foot-high-and-wide box sitting on it, and Shego couldn't hold steady enough in the gusty wind to allow Kim to jump.

"I'll go by myself. I can take it" Sheaghen offered.

"No way," Kim replied, "we don't split up un-planned. Always a bad idea. We'll jump into the lake and climb up. You _did_ say you were water-proof, right?"

Sheaghen gave her a worried look. "So, you're saying, we're going to jump into a lake with 15-foot swells, climb up a 100-foot platform - with no ladder or stairs, I might add - in near hurricane winds, to check out a suspicious box that was probably put there by the Prince of Evil?"

Kim smiled at the synth, "If you can't do even _one_ impossible thing, Sheaghen, maybe you should consider another line of work. Maybe you could... I dunno... open cans, somewhere."

Sheaghen's eyes bugged out as she gawked at the red-head. "Kimmie!" she cried, putting her hand to her chest as if she'd been shot through her non-existent heart, "You _GOT_ me! 'Open cans'? Oh my _GAWD_! You _SO _got me!"

Kim was trying as hard as she could to maintain her composure, until Sheaghen trapped her head in an elbow-lock and proceeded to give her a friendly nouggie.

"Oh! I'm just _SO_ proud of you, Princess!"

"Sheag... Sheaghen! Stop! Cut it out!" Kim protested weakly. Weakly because she was laughing too hard to protest strongly.

"Don't make me come back there, kids!" Shego commanded.

Sheaghen let Kim go. "If you're going to swim, you'd better lose your cargo-pants and turtle-neck. _My_ outfit is good for swimming... yours isn't."

"You suggest I go in my underwear?"

Sheaghen thought about it for .34467 seconds. Approximately. "No, I suggest _I_ go naked, and you wear this." She began stripping off her bi-color suit.

Awkward as it was - not to mention _totally_ weird - Kim could see that Sheaghen had a point. She would risk her life with a naked, synthetic, copy of _most _of Shego's body. Well, maybe not _totally_ naked...

Kim disrobed - completely except for her bra - and handed her panties to the robot. "Sheaghen, _please_ wear these. And no smart remarks... "

"Damn, Princess. You pump any more blood to your head and I think it'll burst. Here" Sheaghen handed the bodysuit, gloves, and boots to Kim, and took the proffered underwear. "You realize these are just completely useless to -"

"It's not for you. It's for me. So I don't get too creeped out to think straight."

"But -"

"Sheaghen! I'd do it for you, okay? Just wear 'em and shut up. And put your bra back on."

"But -"

"_Sheaghen_!"

"Okay, okay..."

"_SO_ the drama" Kim said under her breath, tying her utility-belt tightly around her waist.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

It may not have been such a bright idea.

The waves lifted and dropped them as they neared the legs of the platform. Wrong timing and they would be smashed against it, if not by the wave they rode, then by the next one. They would each have one chance to get it right. If the wave carried them beyond the outer legs and into the tangled and rusty braces, supports, and chains in the interior... well, they could both tell it would be bad.

"I'll go first" Sheaghen yelled over the wind.

She looked over her shoulder to pick her wave, then, having decided on one, she swam - as if she had a life that depended on it - to position herself properly when it smacked the metal leg of the well-head.

She reached the beam somewhat before she reached the crest of the wave, and clung to it like a barnacle as the remainder of the crest rose over her head, submerging her entirely, and crashed above her.

Below, Kim held her breath until the wave cleared Sheaghen again, and she saw the Synth struggle to climb up the oily, rusty, metal. When she'd climbed above the reach of the highest waves, Sheaghen turned to wave at Kim, still in the water. She yelled "Your turn!", but Kim couldn't hear. Still, she hadn't needed to be told, anyway.

Kim picked her wave, and swam. _I'm Kim Possible! Anything is possible for a Possible! I'm Kim Possible..._

She was off-center, the leg of the platform _almost_ out of reach. But it was an I-beam. It had corners. She could get one hand on one corner, as the wave tried to pull her in to the interior. It was enough.

But as the wave went by and freed her from it's grip, her body swung into the beam, hard enough to knock her breath away. She welcomed it with open legs, just the same, wrapping them around the beam. She began to climb.

Two more waves crashed over her before she was clear. Then, there was Sheaghen, 30 feet away on her own beam, almost naked and oozing green from cuts on her legs. The goo mixed with the water spray, making it look even worse than it was.

Sheaghen knew she was losing fluid volume. She could stop the flow, but her muscle-fibers needed the goo to function, in a way closely analogous to human blood. She could stop the flow to her legs, but their strength would only last maybe five minutes if she did. She could stop the flow to her hands, but then she'd have no grip. Her only hope was to climb as fast as she could and hope she had enough fluid to make it to the top, where she could patch herself up. _Shouldn't be a problem_, she thought. She was wrong.

Ten feet from the top, and Sheaghen had pulled every trick out of her hat. She laid carefully on a cross-member, stopped all her circulation except one arm, which she curled around the beam. She would be here until someone came and got her, and that wasn't likely to happen until the hurricane had passed. _Guess you're on your own, Princess._

But Kim was watching her from below, and screamed to get her attention, to no avail. The wind and the sound of the waves drowned her out. Once she had climbed to Sheaghen's level, she tried again.

"Sheaghen! What's wrong!"

The synth yelled back, "Too much bleeding, Princess! I'll be okay, but I can't go on! Don't have enough goo left to work my legs and arms at the same time!"

"I'll come back for you once I get to the top!" Kim yelled, continuing her climb.

"No! I'll be fine! Princess! Kim! Just leave me here!" but Kim had already gone.

Ten minutes later, Sheaghen saw her climbing down above her.

"Kim! Don't!" she yelled several times, but the red-head just kept coming. _Dammit! I KNOW she hears me! Stupid meat-bags, never do really understand what machines are for..._

Once Kim was straddling the beam with her, conversation became more normal.

"Now, what's wrong? You say you've lost too much goo?"

"Yeah. There's nothing you can do, Kim. I appreciate the effort, but really, don't put yourself any more at risk for my sake."

"I don't leave friends behind" she said flatly, and began searching her utility belt for bandages.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Band-Aids."

"Kim, look. I appreciate all this, I know what you're trying to do, and I know why. Remember, I'm just a machine, Kim... I'm _not_ your friend, I'm _not_ even real. I'm just a simulation! You won't be hurting my feelings. Now go!"

"I don't leave friends behind" Kim repeated.

"Kim, you don't understand. You're defeating my whole reason for existing! Now get outta here!"

Kim found her bandages, and stopped to look into the synth's face.

"I know what you are, Sheaghen. I know all about it. Talked to Drakken for hours. And I've been thinking about it a lot. I reached a conclusion."

"Which is?"

"I don't care. I don't care _what_ you are. I don't care if you're just a souped-up pocket calculator. It doesn't matter. I don't leave friends behind."

"Kim -" Sheaghen began to plead.

"Shut up. Now, where are you bleeding the worst?"

"Uh... start with this hand." _Damn stubborn, stupid meat-bags_, she thought. But it occurred to her, even so, that what she thought, and what she _felt_ were contradictory. "And... ya got any duct-tape? Bandages don't really do much for me."

"As a matter of fact -" Kim _knew_ which pouch had _that_ item, "I do. That's more like it, sweet-heart!"

"Uh..."

"Shut up." But Kim was smiling as she said it.

KPKPKPKPKPKP

They both walked around the box, looking for clues. But it was just a wooden crate, a _thick_ wooden crate.

"Can you open it?" Kim asked Sheaghen.

"Nope. Wasn't built for super-strength, y'know. But I can do this" and Sheaghen spread her arms flat against the downwind side of the box, where they were standing, pressing her whole - mostly bare - body against it, and then turned her head to press her ear up to it as well.

"What are you doing?" Kim asked.

"Shush!"

A minute later she was done, and pulled herself away to face a perplexed Kim.

"It's a bomb. Radio controlled detonator. There's also a clock in there, so it's probably set to go off at a certain time, even if the signal to detonate never comes."

"How do you know all that just from listening to it?"

"Wasn't just listening... in fact, all I could actually _hear_ was the hum of power-inverters. Converting DC into AC, at both 60 and 400 cycles. 60 cycles would be the detonator, 400 would be the radio. My skeleton also acts like an antenna - not something it was designed to do, but I've learned that it does, so I use it that way when it's handy. I can sort of feel radio-waves. It's transmitting a signal that is basically saying - I think - 'I'm here and I'm ready, and the time is 4:25:05'."

"Wow. So when's it gonna go off?"

"How should I know? Oh, one more thing: it's a fuel-air bomb. There's probably several thousand gallons of diesel fuel in there."

"How -"

" 'Cuz it stinks."

"Oh. What's a 'fuel-air bomb'?"

Sheaghen explained after rolling her eyes, "Don't you people ever read 'Jane's Armaments'? A bomb explodes, right? An explosion is basically oxidation. The explosive either has to provide it's own - like C-4 or dynamite - or it has to use what's in the air all around it. So first, a smaller - relatively - explosion blows up the diesel fuel, turning it into a fine spray and spreading it into the air, then the detonation charge sets up a shock wave that compresses the fuel/air mixture, and bang! we're sitting in the middle of a piston-cylinder, with no piston."

"Doesn't sound like much of a bomb... I mean, it's just gasoline, basically..." Kim was not impressed.

"Oh, 'bout three-quarters of a mega-ton, I'd expect. About like a small nuclear device, is all."

Kim's eyes bugged out.

"Yeah. Biggest non-nuke bombs you can get are fuel-air. If this goes off, everything for a mile around..." Sheaghen looked about her over the rolling lake, "which really isn't much, is it? That's kind of strange... so it'll blow a hole in the water. Who cares?"

They both thought in silence. Then Kim's eyes lit up.

"It's a _shock_ wave, right? Not a big blast of energy, right?"

"Yeah..." Sheaghen said, working on the clue.

"So it won't 'blow a hole' in the water... it'll _push_ a hole in the water and -"

"... and that water's gotta go _somewhere_, so it'll make a wave... 200 feet high, if I'm right about it's yield, and take out just about everything on this entire lake!"

"Right! We gotta knock it out! You know how to disable it?" Kim looked at the synth - already quite the fountain of knowledge - hopefully.

"Sorry. I can't just download _everything_, y'know. My memory-space _is_ limited." Sheaghen considered the question awhile longer, "Besides, these things are hard-to-get. I'll bet Lee has booby-trapped it, for just such an emergency."

"Well, we gotta do something. Here, take the Kimmunicator and tell the others what we've found, and what you think it'll do. I'm gonna look around some more."

"_KIM_-municator?" Sheaghen said with an eyebrow cocked.

"Uh... heh. Yeah. Just tell 'em, okay?"

KPKPKPKPKP

"Hold on a sec, Drak - Find anything?" Sheaghen asked when Kim returned.

"Nada. We're standing on four iron beams stuck in the mud, and that's about all there is to see. Anyone else have any ideas?"

"Not so far. On the line with Drak now."

"Drakken? What for? His schemes _never_ work!"

A tinny voice came from the Kimmunicator, "I heard that! I'll have you know -"

"Save it, Doc" Kim said, "we all know something always happens to ruin your plans, or your doomsday device short circuits, or your mind-switcher melts, or..." Kim stopped abruptly and considered. "Say, Doc - Dr. Drakken... if this _were_ one of your schemes, what could happen to ruin it?"

"_My_ schemes were perfect, it was always -" Dr. Drakken protested.

"Okay fine, Doc... I'm just sayin'. What would happen _if_, is all. Don't get all huffy. I'm asking for your _help_, here!"

"Humph. Well... the timer could be set for the wrong time, or the radio for the wrong frequency, or the wrong kind of fuel in the tanks, or -"

"Let's just assume the bomb works. What then?" Kim asked.

"Oh... Well, let's see... One of Shego's plasma-balls would probably knock a hole in it and let all the fuel out, or Ron would somehow accidentally drop it into the water, or you'd get to the self-destruct button, or -"

"It doesn't _have_ a self-destruct button, Doc..." Kim complained looking sideways at Sheaghen and nodding her head in despair.

Josh was apparently listening in, as his voice came on saying, "Wait. Ron drops it in the water. How's that ruin the plan?"

"It's a fuel/_air_ bomb, Mr. Mankey. It needs _air_..."

Both girl and synth shouted simultaneously, "THAT'S IT!"

"Thanks, Josh! You've saved the day!" Kim said.

"Just doin' my job. Josh out."

Kim looked at Sheaghen, "We're gonna push it offa here?"

"No good, Princess. Diesel is lighter than water. It'll float."

"Then we gotta weigh it down!"

"With what? You said yourself we're sitting on four iron... beams... ah-ha."

"Ah-ha?" Kim repeated.

"We gotta blow the legs off this platform, Kim."

"We don't have any explosives..."

"I do" Sheaghen said, "My fuel cells will make quite a nice bang, if they're set off right" she held her face close to the Kimmunicator again. "Any ideas, Drak?"

"You set them, I'll see to it they explode. I like explosions."

"Good ole' Drak!" Sheaghen exclaimed.

KPKPKPKPKP

Sheaghen coughed up – literally – twenty-four of the small silvery lozenges. But as she was still low on "goo", and her duct-taped body was still almost totally exposed, Kim had to set them.

Luckily, the cargo-crane could lower Kim enough to get down far enough on the legs of the platform without having to climb down and up - four times - like a spider, again.

She had already finished when she had a thought, "Those are your energy-source, right? You're sure you have enough left to... stay energized?"

Sheaghen winked at her, "I got enough to get home on. I'm afraid hot tantric sex will have to wait until I can get a refill, though."

Kim rolled her eyes, "You _promised_ you wouldn't say things like that!"

Sheaghen giggled, "Sorry, Princess. Even robots can't resist a _really_ good pot-shot, when we see one."

Desperate to change the subject, Kim took back the Kimmunicator.

"Dr. Drakken?"

"As you kids are wont to say, 'Yo'. "

"How are you going to set them off?"

"Satellite. Neutron-beam. Not a problem. You good-guys have _SO_ many neat toys! I wish I'd hopped the fence sooner!"

Kim shot Sheaghen a wry look – _your boss SO weird_, and Sheaghen broke into a smile.

"Shego? Ron? You up there? We're ready for pick-up" Kim said.

"Shego?... Ron?..." she repeated.

Sheaghen's face fell, "Uh-oh."

Drakken's voice came from the speaker instead, "I was just talking to Shego not ten minutes ago. I set her Communicator up to send the beam when she hit the 'pound' button. She couldn't -"

Suddenly, Sheaghen's face took on a look of absolute seriousness, and without a word, she grabbed Kim in a fireman's carry over her shoulder, and ran as fast as she could towards the edge of the platform.

The fuel-cells exploded just as she was leaping off. A piece of the resulting shrapnel tore through Kim's right thigh as they fell towards the water.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Sheaghen's internal shielding gave her only seconds of warning that the neutron beam had been fired, while she and Kim had been standing on the platform. She didn't even think an exclamation. She turned off her emotion-simulation routines while she picked up the human girl and began running.

Able to process input with her native speed now, she saw the shrapnel heading towards them as they fell through the air, but there was not much she could do about it. With nothing to push against except the girl herself, the synth had no way to turn their bodies to intercept it, and the shrapnel's trajectory had it impacting right in Kim's chest. She could do one thing: she pushed Kim _up_, and it entered her thigh, passing completely through. The blood that splattered out following the metal shard was bright, bright red – arterial blood. Sheaghen put her hand on Kim's groin and squeezed the flesh of her upper-thigh against the bone, closing the artery. In that position, she prepared for the splash.

With the landing pad of the platform, and it's cargo, coming down right behind them.

Sheaghen and Kim entered the water in a head-first dive, and the synth curved her body so that the force of the water, combined with their momentum, would shoot them out away from the descending platform above them. When her momentum ran out, she and Kim were thirty feet down in the water.

She felt Kim begin to struggle for air, and forced her mouth to the human's, sealing them together. Kim's eyes were open – wide open – and Sheaghen slowly exhaled into the girl's lungs, hoping she would get the idea.

Sheaghen's air sacs were only there to give her the ability to speak, but they were unusually - by human standards – large, in order to keep her volume/mass ratio close to that of a real person. The net result was that Sheaghen carried almost three times the volume of air as Kim's lungs.

As Sheaghen swam with all her might, with one arm and two legs only, Kim breathed and held on.

Five long, terrifying minutes later, they surfaced outside the drag-zone of the sinking platform.

Sheaghen let the human breath for herself.

"What is your status, Kim?" she asked.

Kim was a little bewildered by the events. Sheaghen grabbing her and jumping off the platform, the dive into the water, being towed underwater, holding on for dear life, breathing from Sheaghen's mouth... Oddly, the shrapnel passing through her thigh hadn't really hurt, and didn't hurt now, though she was aware that she'd been hit by something. She was also aware of Sheaghen's hand squeezing hard at her groin, and didn't understand why she was doing that. Too many questions!

"Wha – What happened?" was her way of summing it all up.

The synth listed the events chronologically: "I detected the neutron beam impacting the shielding around my remaining fuel-cells. I disabled my emotional-simulation routines. I carried you off the edge of the platform prior to the explosions of the fuel-cells you had placed. While descending towards the surface of the lake, a piece of metal shrapnel threatened to impact you in the thorax, so I maneuvered you in such a way as the impact would be less threatening, but it has apparently cut the femoral artery in your leg. I am currently keeping that artery squeezed shut to prevent excessive blood loss. I dove with you into the water in such a way as to convert our combined momentum into horizontal motion, getting us out of the way of the sinking platform. I allowed you to breath the air contained in my air-sacs. I swam out of the hydraulic drag-zone created by the sinking platform, and then we surfaced. I asked you your status."

Kim couldn't think of anything to ask, after such a flood of information.

"Uh... I'm... okay, I guess? My right leg feels a little cold..."

"That is because of the lack of blood-flow. We must now swim to the nearest platform where there may be medical help. It is two miles away. If I can use both my arms, and legs, I can get us there in approximately an hour. Can you hang on to me with one arm and keep your artery closed with your other?

"I... I guess so... "

Sheaghen took her free hand and guided it down to Kim's groin to replace her own, then repositioned them both such that Kim was hugging the synth in half a bear hug, her chin resting on the synth's head.

Sheaghen began to swim like an Olympic athlete on steroids. At first, Kim panicked because the other girl's (as she thought of her) head never came out of the water for air, but it occurred to her that she _was_ a synth, after all, and apparently didn't need to breathe.

Sheaghen swam on and on, never tiring. Kim held on as they swam over and through waves, breathing whenever she had the chance. It was not easy. When her leg became too cold, she would relax her squeeze and allow some blood through, knowing that it would be blood lost when she did so. They left a red trail in the muddy green water.

Sixty yards from their destination, Sheaghen stopped. She treaded water while she pushed Kim off of her.

"Sheaghen? What are you doing? There's the platform..." It towered over them from this distance, looking quite a lot closer than it actually was.

"I cannot go on, Kim. I am almost out of energy. I have less than a minute left. Can you make it to the platform by yourself?" Before Kim could answer, Sheaghen had time to wonder why she'd asked the question. It didn't matter, after all, whether the girl could or couldn't. If she couldn't, she would die. There was nothing Sheaghen could do about it. So why had she asked?

"Just hold _on_, Sheaghen! We'll make it! Here, you hold on to _me_ for a change, I'll -"

"You do not understand, Kim. There is no 'holding on' for me. When my power runs out, I will be gone. I am not like you. I cannot 'fight to live'. Without power, I cease to exist. My neural net will dissipate, and I will become spare parts."

"But... you said you had enough -"

"I could not have known I'd have to do all the things I have done recently, Kim. My cells are expended, my reserve is almost gone. Here, take this." Sheaghen appeared about to throw up, and then removed a spherical black ball from her mouth. "Give this to Dr. Drakken. He will know what to do."

"What is it?"

"It's me, from the time before we left the GJ lab until about twenty seconds ago. A supplement to the backup I have back at the lab." Then, Sheaghen did something for which there was no logical, rational, earthly reason. She said, "Kim... promise me you'll see to it that Sheaghen-2 is created."

"I... what -"

"Promise me, Kim."

Kim searched the machine's eyes for a glimmer of... of _something_ to show how Sheaghen felt, because Kim herself could feel it, but there was nothing there. Just optical sensors staring steadily back at her.

"I promise, Sheaghen. But I'm not going to leave -"

Sheaghen spoke over her, "Good girl, Princess" and her head disappeared beneath the water, forever.

"Sheaghen! Sheaghen! No!" Kim cried, "SHEAGHEN! DON'T DO THIS!"

Sheaghen did hear Kim's words, muddled by the water, as she exhaled the air in her sacs, making herself negatively buoyant. She positioned herself horizontally and sunk slowly down, looking up at Kim's legs from underneath.

_7. Go on Kim. Get to the platform. Save yourself. Save me. Go on..._

_6. Go on Kim. Please..._

She watched the human girl begin to swim.

_5. Good girl, Kimmie. You can do it._

_4. _

_3. I get it now. I get it now._

_2._

_1. I loved you, Kim._

And with that thought, Sheaghen, The First, went dark.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

A/N

Whew! And to continue the story, we have to go back in time, too, to see what Ron, Shego, and Lee were up to. I wish I could have worked more Ko in... ohwell. I bet we'll see her again.

I'd really like to know what YOU think...

I expect the next update before Jan14, 2006, sometime. Only a few chap's left! And one of them is the Epilogue!


	32. Chapter 32: Lee Explains It All

And with that thought, Sheaghen, The First, went dark.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

With Ron, Shego, Kim, and Sheaghen all gone off to do their stuff, Josh was left alone with Ko in the hotel suite.

He looked over at her to see that she was watching him from her seat by the balcony door. He sighed.

"I guess it's just you and me, Ko..."

"Yes." Her face wasn't Stone anymore, but it was still blank. She simply didn't know what to think, and was trying not to think at all. It was very awkward for her, alone with an attractive – and interesting, as well – male. Her mental discipline was her refuge. If not for that, she might be tempted to do something... foolish...

Trying to think of how to make best use of himself, Josh thought about contacting Wade, but really, there was nothing new to input to the equations, nothing new Deep Blue could crunch on. He turned on the TV to watch the news. At least, if something _did_ occur, he stood a chance of knowing about it. Depending on television news networks for actual relevant data was, of course, a mistake – he knew that – but his options were severely limited.

"Ron... is your lover?" Ko asked unexpectedly.

"Uh, yeah." It occurred to Josh that anything he told Ko _might_ end up in Lee's hands, that Lee _might_ still have plans for Ko, and that whatever the case, Lee _always_ thought several "patterns" ahead. Whatever he thought of Ko, the woman, he would still need to be wary of Ko, the tool.

"You're homosexual? Or are you bisexual..."

"Homosexual. As a three-dollar bill."

"Pardon me?"

"Uh... sorry, that's an American expression. But yeah... homosexual."

That was actually a sort of unwelcome relief for Ko. It could have been... interesting... sex with a man. She found herself wondering what it might be like.

Josh was feeling _very_ uncomfortable. "Uhm... I'm gonna go pack up my stuff, in case I have to leave in a hurry or... something. You'll wait here?" Then he remembered – he was supposed to be her master - "I mean, you wait here."

"Yes" was all she said.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

_Lee was in a hurry. He had a lot to do – today was a big day. All the preparation, in some cases years of it, had come down to this day. There were places he needed to be in order to ensure the correct timing of events. It still irked him, however, having to lose Ko like that. His spies had informed him that Team Possible – minus Ko – had left the hotel. The spies hadn't mentioned Josh._

_So, harried for time as he was, he set his chopper down on the roof of the hotel. Maybe he could retrieve her. He used his Master Key-Card to open the door (he - or rather, one of his companies - owned the hotel) and saw her sitting there, alone, watching the news. Things were coming together SO well! _

"_Ko, your mission here is over. Come with me" was all he said. He didn't even look back after he turned for the door to see if she was following... but she was, of course._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Josh heard the door open from the bedroom of the suite and froze. Had Team Possible returned for him after all? Had they forgot something? And lastly, _was_ that Team Possible at all?

He heard a man's voice tell Ko her mission was through, and for her to follow him, then he heard the door close.

Too quick. The man, and it _had_ to be Lee, hadn't even asked her if she was alone. But Josh knew Lee was no amateur. He quickly went out to the balcony and swung over, onto the balcony underneath. _Thank you Ron for teaching me parallel-bars! I'll BELIEVE you from now on when you say something might come in handy!_

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Ko hadn't mentioned Josh because she hadn't been asked, but it still hurt. She tried not to think about it, calling again upon her mental discipline. But this was tantamount to lying to Lee himself, and it _HURT_!

Only a few steps down the hall, Lee stopped and looked at Ko behind him. "Did the rest of them all go out?" he asked.

Ko was relieved to be able to say "No, Sir. Josh Mankey was left behind."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lee looked at Ko warily. It _might_ have been his fault for not thinking to ask. Or, she _might_ have been hiding that fact, unlikely as that was.

"You did not ask, Master."

Ko forced herself to remember how elated she'd felt when Lee had opened the door, covering any other, later, feelings with those. She _had_ felt elated! Lee's appearance meant an end to all the questions, awkward feelings, humiliations... it meant she could go back to Work at her Art, could do things she could be proud of, would have the opportunity to hone her skills even further. After all, she was still young, for a Slic. Think of all the things she could accomplish in the next decade! Think how pleased Lee would be with her!

Lee watched her face. He saw what He expected. No, she wasn't hiding anything, it was just that He had been too awed by the smoothness with which He'd retrieved such a valuable tool that He forgot, for a moment, to keep His mind on the situation at hand. Even Satan had lessons to learn. He was – by definition – not perfect.

But it didn't really matter. One member of the Team, more or less, stood only a fraction of a chance of interfering with the events He had planned for today. He would have liked to have met Mr. Mankey, perhaps a meeting would have given Him valuable information about the boy. But Ko was far more valuable than anything He could have learned, He was sure.

Once again, He was wrong. And on two counts this time, for a total of three, all together. Had Lee known, He would have abandoned the whole Plan and moved on.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Okay, they're both clear of the waves... but Sheaghen seems to be losing a lot of blood... or goo, or whatever. Hope she'll be okay." Ron said. Shego was too busy fighting the winds gusting around the platform to keep an eye on them.

"She's in good hands. The best, in fact." Shego replied with confidence.

Ron looked at her slyly, "I don't think _your_ experience with Kim's hands is the sort of thing -"

"Ron..."

"Shut-up. I know."

"Right. So, where to?" Shego slid the chopper sideways away from the turbulent winds near the well-head.

"Well, there's lots of these little platforms around here... but there's a big one about two miles off, due west, almost. Two-seven-seven. See it? Map says it's a 'habitation/gas-compressor platform'. Seems like it'd be a good place to be, if someone wanted to be close – but not too close – to the action."

"Check. Big one, isn't it..."

"Freakin' enormous!"

"You can say 'fuck' around me, Ron."

"What if I don't want to?"

"Suit yourself."

Pointed the right way, she glanced at Ron beside her. "I've been meaning to ask you... uh... have you had any... well, _symptoms_ from when we... you know..."

Ron chuckled. "Last night, at the restaurant? I went to the ladies room."

Shego smiled, "That all?"

"I wasn't finished. The worst part is: I didn't realize anything was wrong until _after_ I was sitting down!"

_That_ image made Shego laugh out loud.

"Yeah, laugh it up, Shego. Real funny," he teased.

"Oh, cry me a river. At least when you sit down to pee it isn't a disaster."

"... which means...?" Ron asked, unable - or unwilling - to make any connections.

"I mean that at two in the morning, this morning, I went to the bathroom and _stood up!_"

To his credit, Ron actually tried not to laugh. But soon he just couldn't help it.

Shego glanced at him, frowning. "Uh-huh. Well, we'll see who's laughing next week. You'd better hope it wears off more by then."

"What happens next week?" Ron asked, genuinely curious.

"Next week, Pretty-Boy, _we_ start _our_ period."

Ron stared at her in terror, "You don't think... I mean... we're not..."

"Be afraid, Ron" Shego said cryptically, "Be _very_ afraid."

He was.

A few minutes later, Ron said, "I hate leaving them back there... Sorry, I guess that goes without saying for you, too..."

"'S okay. You had to leave Josh behind, and look what happened" - Josh had informed them by Communicator about Lee's turning up and taking Ko - "So I didn't want to say anything. But yeah, I hate it too. Thanks." She flew up to helipad level as they neared the oil-rig. "Gonna be a bumpy landing. And it looks like _someone's_ home" Shego observed as the pad came into sight. Another helicopter – without corporate markings – was already tied down.

"Guess we all know who _that _is" Ron said. The helicopter on the pad was solid, gleaming white, just like the Land Rover had been. "We'd better tie this thing down too... uh, if you can _get_ us down."

"You've walked away from all my landings so far. You threw up... but you _did_ walk away."

" 'All your landings so far' is _one_, Shego!"

"So I'm 100 successful, as far as you know! Now hold on..."

"Be gentle with me?"

Shego giggled to herself. "Haven't heard _that _in a while..."

The landing was bumpy indeed, but otherwise uneventful. Ron hopped out before the blades stopped turning to find the tie-downs. Shego locked the two-bladed rotor fore and aft, then tied it down, as well.

They stood at the top of the metal stairs looking over the rest of the platform.

"So... pick a box, Comrade" Shego said with a little frustration in her voice. All the buildings on the platform were simple, windowless, metal boxes of one size or another. They started down. As soon as they were below the helipad level, the wind was cut considerably.

"Your Communicator on? Loud?" Shego asked. Splitting up, as Kim had said to Sheaghen during the ride out, was a Bad Idea. But this was different, they would keep in touch using their Communicator's like walkie-talkies.

"Check."

"Holler if you find something, right?"

"Oh, hey, what a good idea! I was just gonna -"

"Shut-up, Ron." He said it right along with her.

"Jinx! You owe me a soda!" he added.

_Kids..._ Shego thought, trying to hide her grin. _They're all such kids. God help me, I love 'em..._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Ron took the the biggest box, the one under the helipad. He didn't know it was the habitation platform, filled with tiny metal-walled rooms, a few larger rooms lined with bunks for the rough-necks, a galley, and a kitchen. He was checking out the kitchen when he felt something, sort of like a chill. He got goose-bumps. He was getting close. Such large, well-lit empty spaces... it was kind of spooky, but he definitely felt he was close. Ahead of him was an un-painted, stainless-steel door. It lead to a walk-in refrigerator-freezer with more square-footage than his parent's entire house. Could Lee be in there? Looking for a snack? Or did he have something that needed refrigeration. He went in.

Racks and racks of food greeted him. Milk, veggies, cottage cheese in five-gallon buckets – everything one would find in the 'fridge at home was there, only in massive quantities. Two entire racks were nothing but eggs. Another door beckoned at the far end of the last row. _Probably the freezer_, Ron thought. But really, why on earth would Lee be in the freezer? It was just so unlikely... and yet he had that feeling...

Ron wasn't "big on logic", as Josh was, but he could have an insight once in a while. If Lee was close, but not in _front_ of him... _he's behind me! Shit!_

Ron spun around fully expecting to see a red, goat-faced man with horns and an arrow-head on his tail standing behind him – but there was nothing. _ Maybe I'm just getting spooked. Let's get out of here._

The door was locked from the outside. Ron's feelings were right, but his deduction came a bit late. He flipped open his Communicator. "Shego! Shego! He's here! In the galley, he just locked me in the refrigerator!"

Static.

"Shego? Shego, are you listening?... Shego!"

Ron realized too late that radios didn't tend to work well when surrounded by a metal box. _Kim was right. Un-planned split-ups are ALWAYS a bad idea! Dammit!_

But it wasn't Lee that had locked him in – it was Ko. She was just following orders, as she always did.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Lee was in the compressor-room, ensuring everything had been done according to plan. He couldn't touch anything himself, of course. He knew how, he just couldn't, because that would be taking a direct action on the Earthly Plane, and that he could not do, anymore than a table-lamp can calculate fractions. It was simply not what he did.

He manipulated people to do such things for him. In this case, the foreman of the rig's compressors had been paid a paltry amount of money - $50,000 American – to make sure the cooling system interlock to the compressors was disabled "for maintenance". Another worker, a lowly "oiler" in the Compressor Department, was paid $2,000 (Venezuelan) to leave the supply valve to the cooling-water tank shut. The cooling system leaked, as most liquid systems do, and when enough air got into the system, the cooling pumps would vapor-lock, and then the gas-compressors would overheat. Eventually they would become red-hot, then white-hot (they were driven by _massive_ motors), and then melt.

The resulting explosion, catastrophic as it would be, would not be near the size of what his bomb on the nearby platform would create... but it would happen at the same time (which is why he was there in the first place), and the resulting confusion would keep suspicion off his trail. And onto China's. The poor oiler was Chinese. China had a motive, believing the Venezuelan Oil Minister had assassinated their Secretary of the Interior. Things were fitting together well. Lee was closer to opening the Fifth Seal than he had been since World War II.

That time, it had been the Japanese who had surprised him, attacking America. If he'd known, or even suspected, he _could_ have stopped it. But he hadn't been paying attention to the tiny, resource-poor, island nation. That attack brought America into the war, and Lee's plan fell apart.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego made her way across the platform floor to one building that stood out from the others. It was small – only about the size of a mobile-home – but it was the only one painted orange. She figured, rightly, that there must be something important in there. Plus, it's door actually had a _window_ in it, so some _one_ important must work there, as well. But it wasn't until she got there and could read the tiny sign above the door that she saw the words "Compressor Emergency Control Station - CECS".

It was located almost as far from the actual compressors as possible on the platform. That hadn't always been the case: a catastrophic rig explosion in the '70's had taken out _all_ the gas production from the North Sea, due partially to the fact that the "CECS" was located right next to the compressors... so when a compressor exploded, it took out the CECS with it. It took the Norwegian Coast Guard days to put out the fire, and hundreds of lives were lost. But mostly, it cut off gas production that it shouldn't have, and _that_ cost REAL money.

She stepped inside. Everything was on and running, apparently by remote-control - judging by the radio transceiver and computer next to it. _I guess they don't want to shut this thing down unless they absolutely HAVE to, even if there's no one here,_ she thought. She looked at the bewildering panels of gauges, LED displays, knobs, buttons, and switches. No way she was going to figure out what was going on here...

Her Communicator beeped. Drakken informed her that Kim and Sheaghen had found a way to disable the remote-controlled bomb, and proceeded to tell her more than she needed to know about how cleverly he had set up her Communicator to set it off. She was to press the pound key. That would relay through the cell-phone circuits to Wade's computer, which would proceed to command the Defense Dept. satellite to fire it's neutron beam.

The only part of all that she cared about was "the pound key". Press the pound key and the platform – the one Kim was standing on right now – would blow it's top off. She had to get them off of there! She turned to leave, thinking about how much time she might have to waste finding Ron. _Kim was right, un-planned split-ups are ALWAYS a bad idea! Dammit!_

Through the window she saw, coming down the staircase to the platform floor, Lee and Ko.

Lee had dressed for the occasion in a completely white suit, matching vest and slacks, silver watch-fob, cuff-links, the whole nine yards. White shoes and a white Panama hat completed the picture. With an appropriate mustache, he might have looked like a young Mark Twain. He looked... _impressive_.

Shego feared no man... but Lee wasn't a man. She feared _Him_. Panicking, she locked the door, then wedged a chair up against the knob. An Enemy was coming who's powers she didn't know, but had experience with, just the same. How safe could she possibly be if He was after her? He might be able to kill her just by thinking it, for all she knew. Shego had feared Lee before, but this time, it would be different. This time Lee knew that she was actively working _against_ Him.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

_Lee saw his ex-employee in the CECS. This was bad, but not something he couldn't handle. Everything else was going SO well, all the pieces in place... all He really had to do was stall for time, and the Plan would handle itself. Ko would be killed, of course, as would He, but there were people lined up to be His host. You can't kill someone who doesn't exist. Not on the Earthly Plane, anyway. It was really the loss of Ko that would bother him. Then again, this particular Team would be removed, as well, so he would win anyway. Lee was all about winning._

_Shego being inside the CECS was only a moderate danger. The remote-detonator for the fuel/air bomb bounced re-assuringly in his inside coat pocket. If he had to, he could do without the additional factor of the compressor explosion. But... there were still two Team members unaccounted for..._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Good afternoon, Shego. I believe you've met Ko?" Lee said from the other side of the explosion-proof glass. He hadn't even tried the doorknob.

"Lee" Shego said non-commitally. She glanced at Ko standing next to him, but her face was a blank. Blank or not, she held a gun in her hand.

"Fine weather we're having" Lee said, as the wind threatened to take his hat off. He turned to Ko, "Ko, see if you can find the other members of Shego's little group, would you?"

Ko left immediately without replying. "That's my girl", Lee said after her.

Shego didn't say anything. It would be a mistake to get into word-play with Him, she knew. To play His game was to lose.

Lee remained standing there, apparently un-concerned with her silence.

He stood there like that for fully fifteen minutes, never moving a muscle, never even blinking, despite the wind. Shego began to feel dread.

_Is he just distracting me? _She turned away from him to check, as well as she could, the panels behind her. Nothing seemed out of place. _ What is he UP to! _Shego had noticed the "Explosion Proof" stickers on the glass and walls of the CECS. _Well, at least he can't just smash the glass and shoot me. On the other hand, dammit, I can't fight back with plasma-bolts from in here, either! Fuck! Where ARE you, Ron!_

Finally, Lee spoke. "Shego, I'd like to make you a proposition."

She forgot, in her dread and frustration, that talking to Him was dangerous in itself.

"You think I'd listen to you?"

"It doesn't seem to me that you have much else to do. Surely you realize, Shego, that despite what you may have heard, not _everything_ I say is a lie. It would be difficult to get things done, if that were the case. For instance, did I not pay you as I said I would, during your employment with me?"

She didn't answer, but Lee paused as if she had.

"And did I not cure your girlfriend – Miss. ... what was her name? - as I said I would?"

"Possible. Kim Poss -" Shego realized she was being played, but couldn't figure out why. Lee _knew_ how important Kim was to her! He was partly _responsible_ for it, according to Ron.

"Yes. Kim Possible. I take it you managed to explain your dalliance with Ko. I would have liked to have heard that. Would _you_ like to hear my proposition, now?"

"There's not much point. But go ahead" Shego said, shaken by Lee's mention of her affair with Ko. She told herself that she was just stalling. It was actually the other way around, of course. But as long as Lee had to stall, He might as well try to tempt Shego back to Him. She'd been incredibly valuable, in His thief. And he was _good_ at tempting.

"Come back to my employ. I can make it worth your while. You know I can, Shego."

The idea was too preposterous for her to grasp.

"Here's what I can give you: money,of course, excitement, the love and respect of Kim Possible, and Ko besides. Oh, yes, I can fix that up with Ms. Possible. You know that. Think of it! A life of luxury, excitement, and fun for the_ three of you..."_

He had used the same trigger Ko had implanted, and Shego couldn't help but re-live her thoughts of how badly she _had_ wanted just that. But -

"And if the type of missions I put you on were too... hard... for you, I can find other things for you to steal. Missions without repercussions. Gold, jewels... the simple things that people attach so much value to. No need for you to have bad dreams. It could be fun, Shego. More even than you had under Drakken. Really, you always were wasted as his lackey. Surely you know that."

Indeed, she did. She had stayed with Drakken far too long, sacrificing her reputation by working for such a loser. The only reason she stayed was... was to be close to Kim...

Lee let her simmer.

Eventually Ko returned, obviously without results. She resumed her place by his side.

Shego couldn't shake off the thought of the _three of them_, especially seeing Ko standing there. She remembered how Ko had made her feel. She remembered how incredible it was... how beautiful Ko was... She looked into Ko's dark, exotic eyes.

Ko looked back. Shego began breathing heavily as her excitement rose.

Then Ko looked slightly downward, while Shego was still entranced by her eyes. Down and to Shego's left, ever so slightly.

_Is she looking at my breasts? Are my nipples showing?_ She automatically looked down at herself to check, glancing at her left side first.

There she saw the red swatch of color she'd added to her otherwise green and black bodysuit. A swatch of color she'd put there in a moment of romantic ecstasy. Kim's color. Lee's spell was broken, just like that, at the sight of it. Thoughts of Kim replaced the lust for Ko.

But Lee was not unaware of the non-verbal communication between Ko and Shego. It was just that sort of thing that gave Lee His true power over People.

Ko had betrayed him, by drawing the woman's attention to that patch of color on her suit. He turned to speak to his tool. Ko did not look back at him. She knew what was coming. But before Lee could speak, they all heard a fourth voice -

"I'VE BEEN WAITING A _LONG_ TIME FOR THIS!_!"_

Ron stared down at them from the second-story landing of the stairway. His eyes actually glowed golden/brown/green – hazel – and he was holding a rough-hewn sword in one hand. Short and heavy, the sword shown un-naturally under the dull gray sky. He deftly climbed over the railing and _jumped_ down to the platform floor, just thirty yards away from Lee and Shego.

Then he ran, sword held out in front, towards them. Shego watched, stupefied. That jump... hadn't been like Ron... And he didn't run like Ron, either. He wasn't running on the raised walkway, but rather _straight_ across the junk-strewn floor of the rig, setting his feet on one pipe or bundle of cable, then another, with each one shifting as he put weight on it, yet he never lost his stride. _That_ was not like Ron, at all!

Lee turned calmly around. "Soldier. We finally meet. This _is_ an honor." He turned to Ko, "If Shego steps out of that door, kill her."

While Ko might be able to get away with subtle, slight, and ambiguous intrigue against Lee, she certainly could not ignore a direct order. She faced her former victim, and aimed at the door, ready to fire.

Ron was still fifteen yards away. Lee unhurriedly, walked over to a wall of vertical pipes – each a foot thick – and stepped behind them. His plan was unraveling a little... a little rough fringe around the edges. As yet, nothing to worry about. Besides, Lee did share one human trait – he enjoyed doing what he was good at. And he really _was_ honored to finally meet The Soldier. The one human who _should have_ known Lee's role in the world of Men, but, of course, didn't.

They never did understand, the People. Even The Soldier, so close to His heart, did not. Perhaps Lee should educate him. He had time. After the Fifth Seal was opened, the Soldier would not matter, anyway.

When Lee had walked casually out of Shego's field of view, she began to panic. She knew Lee would have the remote detonator on him... and now, she wouldn't be able to see when – or if – he tried to use it. She picked up her communicator, gripping it such that her index finger was on the all-important # key. By pressing it, she could save the day, save the world, probably save herself and Ron, even Ko... save everything. Everything except Kim. She would be killing Kim.

She should press it now. That was what she _should_ do. Lee might be reaching for his detonator right now, and Kim would die anyway. So would she, Ron... probably hundreds of other people. Maybe thousands. If Lee set off his bomb, all their deaths would be on her head. And if she detonated that platform, Kim's would. _Kim..._ _Kim! What do I do? How can I "do the right thing" if it means... How? I never wanted to be a good-guy! I only did it for you! NOW what do I do? KIM!_

_What would YOU do?_

In less time than it took to ask herself that, she knew, and pressed the horrible button, ending her lover's life, and her own happiness, forever. Because Kim... Kim would do the Right Thing, and expected her to do the same, regardless. The Right Thing was all that mattered. She could almost agree, now that she'd done it.

Almost, but not quite.

Shego fell to her knees, forgetting Lee, forgetting Ko, forgetting Ron. She was done. She'd done the last thing she would EVER do. Shego, Sara, whatever, she was finished. All her powers, her skills, her experience, all for nothing. Never even used for anything important. Unable to be used for what was MOST important... Useless. She sank to the floor and waited for whatever would come, not caring. Kim was dead, she had killed her. Nothing, _NOTHING_ else mattered.

The Soldier stopped on the other side of the wall of pipes, staring at Lee. To come _so close_ to fulfilling his purpose, the purpose of hundreds of lifetimes, and not be able to finish it was unbearable! He roared in frustration.

On the other side of the platform, in the Compressor Room, a third-stage cylinder glowed red.

Lee remained icy cool. "What have you learned, Soldier?" He sounded as if he were making small-talk over tea.

What used to be Ron only stared back, uncomprehending.

"I can wait for you to think about it, Soldier. Take your time."

The part of The Soldier that was Ron Stoppable came to the forefront. "What?"

"I asked you what you'd learned, over the course of your lifetimes. Surely there must be something..." Lee inspected his fingernails, and straightened his hat.

"I've learned enough not to listen to _you_!" Ron answered angrily.

"Ah. Of course. I get that a lot. So, why is that, then?"

"Because you are Evil, Incarnate. In human form. Purely Evil."

"So, I'm Evil." Lee looked up from his nail-inspection. "And what, pray tell, _is_ 'Evil', exactly?"

"A word for something that can't be expressed in words. And even you won't try."

"True enough" Lee responded, actually impressed. Apparently all those lifetimes hadn't been completely wasted. "But tell me – am I a part of Nature? Of the World? Or am I something else?"

"Something else."

Lee couldn't very well check his pocket-watch for the time, but luckily, there was a yard-wide 24-hour clock hanging from the third story railing behind The Soldier. He had plenty of time.

Ron – or a part of him – caught Lee looking, but was too enraged and frustrated to care.

"So, we've established that I am _not_ part of Nature. Tell me, then, what are the hallmarks of this 'Evil' you wish to destroy so badly."

"You lie. You deceive and trick. That is what you are. People die."

"Hmmm" Lee seemed to be thinking, but was in reality waiting for The Soldier to think, instead.

"Have you never lied?" Lee asked.

Ron didn't answer. Of course he had.

"Never deceived? Never 'tricked' anyone?"

"That's different" Ron said.

"Is it, now... 'different'. " Lee appeared almost amused, "I hadn't thought of it that way."

"It's different because... I never stood to gain... that is, no one was ever hurt by..." The Soldier forced his own mouth to shut, before it said something _else_ stupid.

"So, it seems you have acquired all the hallmarks of this 'Evil' yourself, have you not? And _I_ am not a part of Nature, you say? Then, perhaps _you_ are not either? One of your theorems must be mistaken, yes?"

"Mankind... is... part of... the World... We... we _ARE_ a part of Nature!" The thoughts were not coming easy, to any of his various minds.

"Very good, Soldier. And so you see, finally, don't you, that _I am part of YOU_?"

The simple logic could not be denied, even by Ron. But... but it made no SENSE! Man was NOT evil on the scale of Satan!

"You want to destroy the world! THAT is why you're here! Why would any MAN, however evil, want to do that?"

The Soldier had finally come full-circle. And, amazingly, he still didn't get it. So few People had, though... only a handful in all of history. Such a waste. Reason, free-will, intelligence, all so _wasted_ on them. Except for that handful.

The third-stage cylinder was glowing blue, now.

"Astounding. You still don't see? YOU, of all People? YOU, who have been in almost EXACTLY my position, and done EXACTLY the same thing, for EXACTLY the same reason? You still do not see me for what I am? You, who are the SAME as me?"

"I... I... how... same...?" A house of cards was about to fall.

"Yes, Soldier, YOU! When you shoved your sword into that man's body you WERE ME! WHY CAN'T YOU _SEE THAT_!"

_ANYthing you can do to shorten a man's time on the Cross, was doing him a favor! Why can't they SEE THAT!_

And fall they did. The Soldier's anger vanished as if had been turned off with a switch, and his sword vanished with it. This... this Lee, WAS him! WAS everyone! Was beyond good and evil... those had just been convenient labels to put on things no one understood. Nature contained no "evil"! Man was, regardless of his incredible ego, only a part of Nature! THERE WAS NO "EVIL"! There was only the World, and Man a part of it!

Lee was... was literally NOTHING!

The light faded from Ron's eyes, now brown again. The Others had left. He was, finally, on his own, for the first time in his life.

Shego! Ko! _THEY_ weren't nothing! He turned his back on Lee, realizing how powerless He really was, to see Ko standing in front of the ECS container, pointing a gun at it. He walked over to her.

She'd been ordered to kill Shego. Not Ron. She didn't move. Ron simply picked the gun from her hand and threw it over the side of the platform. But where was Shego?

Looking in the window, Ron could see her huddled on the floor, head in her knees. But the door was locked, so he pounded on it. Behind her, on the panels, nothing seemed out of order, as far as he could tell. Shego got up puffy eyed and looking more forlorn than he'd ever seen her, even more than that night at Bueno Nacho. It was awful to see, and worse to see on _her_... He opened the door and went in, while Shego slumped on a chair in front of one of the panels.

"Shego? Shego, what's wrong?" He put a hand on her shoulder in an awkward attempt at comforting. But she was obviously beyond that.

"Kim. You don't know, do you? You didn't hear... I killed her Ron. Sheaghen too. I killed them." She looked up at him, "Do what you have to, Ron. I'm finished 'doing' things."

_Finished doing things_? He didn't ask _how_ Shego had killed Kim and Sheaghen. She said she had, and he just believed it, in the same way and for the same reasons as Shego had followed his flight instructions over the Pacific Ocean. He didn't have to ask how, or why, or what for. He sat on another console's chair and stared at the panel.

The third-stage cylinder glowed white.

A clock on the panel said it was 7:42. Funny how time went on, without regard to the affairs of people. Funny things, clocks...

Lee had been watching the clock, too, he remembered. Why would He...

Ron jumped out of his chair. "Shego! Everything red! Push everything red! SHEGO!"

She looked over at him with utter apathy in her eyes.

"SHEGO! Snap out of it! We still have things to do!"

"You handle it Comrade" she said. Shego got up and walked out of the CECS. She leaned on the safety-rail at the edge of the platform.

Ron began frantically going from one console station to the next, pushing every red button, flipping every red switch, and turning every red knob he could find, hopefully to the "OFF" position. There were quite a lot of them. He would never know which one stopped the Compressors – he didn't even know the Compressors needed stopping. All he knew was that – unlike villains and mad scientists – engineers made things red to signify safety, not destruction. The Compressors shut down.

While Lee could not feel "elation", He _could_ feel satisfaction. Everything had turned out so incredibly well. He went to Ko and handed her the remote detonator transmitter. "Ko, push this button." He'd heard Ron in the CECS trying to get Shego to shut everything down. It was a small matter, really, if the compressor didn't blow. The bomb still would.

And yet, the bomb didn't. Even in the now 45-knot wind, they would have heard it.

Something had gone wrong with The Plan.

Lee only sighed. Well, there were other Patterns to look after, other chores to do. And one final matter to take care of here, before he left.

"Ko, I'm _very_ disappointed in you" he told her as he passed her on the way to the stairs.

Ko's hands flew to her temples and her mouth opened too far in a silent scream of agony. She fell to her knees as the pain knifed through her brain, the madness following closely behind. Lee left her there and headed for his helicopter. It would be tricky flying, and He might even perish in the attempt... only small matters. He had other Work to look after.

Ron had pushed his last button and was double-checking to make sure he didn't miss any, when Ko finally got enough breath to scream out loud. It made his blood quiver.

It was soul-wrenching enough to even get Shego's attention. Regardless of how sorry she felt for herself, it was impossible to ignore someone in _that_ kind of pain. She and Ron met at Ko at the same time. They didn't know what had happened to her, but it was obviously her Conditioning causing it. They'd seen a taste of that before.

Shego was thinking, _I should just zap her out_, but she really, really, _really_ didn't want to – the last two times she'd used that power she'd been sorry she had. _Very_ sorry she had. She'd come to believe it was a cop-out, an easy way to handle people and situations she didn't like. She'd come to feel it was Bad. She needed Ron's approval, a witness, someone who might understand. She looked at Ron, and he looked back, but no words were spoken. She put a hand on Ko's head and flashed her.

The screaming mercifully stopped as Ko fell onto the aluminum walk-way. Still without speaking, Ron took her in his arms and began carrying her to the habitation building, leaving Shego standing there, her self-pity beginning to re-emerge. She went back to the safety-rail to look at the rolling water and try to remember everything she could about Kim, to burn it into her brain, to be sure she could never forget.

Ko's screams still echoed in her ears. Or... was it something else... No, she was hearing screams, barely audible above the wind. Where was it coming from? Beyond the platform?

The wind was carrying it. "SHEAGHEN, DON'T DO THIS!"

Kim! Shego jumped from the platform without even a thought.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP


	33. Chapter 33: Kigo

The wind was carrying it. "SHEAGHEN, DON'T DO THIS!"

Kim! Shego jumped from the platform without even a thought.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

It was a good two-hundred feet down to the water, give or take an extra twenty feet due to the waves. A precise entry was a requirement under such conditions - but Shego was up for it, and entered the water like a knife.

She surfaced and listened, but heard nothing. She yelled Kim's name, several times, to no avail. It was growing dim as the sun neared the horizon, turning the water deep red from light's reflection off the hurricane-clouds. But the waves cut off her vision, she could only see to the next crest, no farther.

Looking back at the platform above to get her bearings, she guessed from which direction she'd heard Kim's voice, and swam.

It was hard going, even for someone in her peak condition, swimming through twenty-foot seas and against 45 knot winds. From the top of each wave, the wind blew the crests back into her face, pelting her with needles of water. But she swam on. She would swim until she'd dropped, if she had to. Her reason for living was out there somewhere, and she _would not_ go back without her, because there would be nothing worth going back for.

After Sheaghen sank, Kim felt more alone than she ever had in her life. She was in an abandoned part of a lake in South America; no one knew she was there, no one knew she was coming. And Sheaghen, her life-line, was gone. She swam toward the promise of the platform looming so large yet so far away. She swam with one arm only, kicking with one foot only, as her right leg didn't seem to respond anymore. It was so cold, that leg... she was cold all over, but that leg felt like ice.

After about fifteen minutes, she realized she wasn't going to make it.

She didn't know it, but she'd only put twelve yards behind her. She swam on anyway, regardless of the thought about how hopeless it was, because that was just the kind of thing she did: Kim Possible did _not_ give up! She went on – semi-conscious - her head usually in the water, not looking where she was going, not paying attention to the waves, breathing when she could. She would swim until her arm and leg stopped working of their own accord. By that time, she probably wouldn't even know it.

Shego was making good time, even against the wind and waves. At the level of the water, the waves themselves cut the wind, except at the very top. She learned to dive through the crests. On the other side of each one, she would stop,look, and listen.

She had done this twenty-three times, so far. But no Kim.

After dive twenty-four, she saw something. In the shining water, she saw something black. And green. And pale face coming up for air. Thirty yards away, in the same trough as herself. A surge of adrenaline coursed through her system, and she was holding onto her lover within a minute.

She held Kim from behind, but the girl didn't seem to notice; she kept stroking with one arm, kicking with one leg, and squeezing her thigh at the groin.

"Kim! KIM! It's me! Kim!" Shego grabbed at the still-stroking arm, and locked both of Kim's legs within her own, keeping her head – both their heads – above the lake with one hand only treading the water. Still Kim struggled to swim, to move, to keep going... just a little further...

Kim realized her limbs were not doing what she wanted them to, and prepared herself, as much as she could in her not-quite-conscious state, to take her first breath of water. But all she got was air: each breath – air – air - air... she opened her eyes.

"Sheaghen?" she mumbled, uncomprehending.

"Kim! No, it's me! Shego! Can you hear me?" Shego yelled.

"Sheaghen... Sheaghen... don't leave me... please... Sheaghen..." Kim said between gasps. She was beginning to feel _so_ tired, she could just go to sleep, in the cold and wet... so easy to go to sleep...

Shego didn't argue. "Kim! Can you hold on to me? Hold on to me... Kim! HOLD ON!"

Shego felt Kim stop resisting her embrace, and wrap one arm around her waist. Not very tightly, but it would have to do. She began to swim back toward the platform.

With ten yards to go to the stairway, Kim's arm slipped off. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing shallow, hardly there. No time. There was no time for... anything.

Shego took Kim's limp arm and brought her hand to her mouth, clenching the material of the teenager's sleeve in her teeth. Then, getting her body under the other girl, she resumed swimming as best she could, for the stairs.

The stairs were supposed to lead to a landing for supply boats, and in a way they still did - but that landing was ten feet under water half of the time as waves washed across it. To get to the stairs, she would have to cross that landing, five yards wide. After that...

_One thing at a time, Shego. Worry about that later._

There was no time to pick and choose, she would take whichever wave she happened to be riding as she got close to the edge, and hope it didn't ram her headfirst into the side – or drop her onto the top - of the steel landing.

As luck would have it – and it was pure luck – Shego's face missed the edge of the dock by only half a foot as the wave picked her up and threw her over, onto the stairs. She grabbed onto the railing with one hand, and swung Kim in front of her with the other.

Now, the problem would be the next wave. She got to her feet and climbed the stairs as quickly as she could, before it hit. She'd made only five steps before it came - flattening both girls against the metal grating.

Kim's other hand finally let go of her groin and hung free, limp. Blood spurted from both sides of her leg almost instantly.

Shego saw, and did nothing. She resumed climbing the stairs, carrying Kim by pressing her together, stomach-to-stomach, with one arm. Kim was finally unconscious. Still breathing, but un-awake.

Another wave rose up under them, and Shego splayed out her feet, using them as hooks on the railing, while she held on to Kim with one arm and covered her mouth and nose with the other. The wave submerged them and tried it's best to dislodge them from the stairway. It scraped Shego back and forth, but didn't pull her off. Before the water even fell past her on the way down, she was climbing again.

Climbing to safety. She had made it above the reach of the waves, and still had Kim. She climbed to the next landing, laid Kim down, and began stripping off both of their outfits, throwing the boots and gloves to the side, and making a bed of sorts out her own suit. She picked Kim up, then laid her back back down – naked on the green/black fabric - and then laid with her, also nude, face-to-face.

_When we Join, I'll probably go unconscious too. I could sure use your help, Comrade... I hope you find us..._

The two of them began to glow.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Ron made Ko as comfortable as he knew how. He wasn't sure how hard Shego had zapped her, so there was no way to know if she would wake up in minutes, or hours. He hoped it would be hours, because he feared that as soon as she woke up, she would start the awful screaming again.

Poor Ko. Poor Shego. Poor Kim too, yes... but – not to be too cold about it – what was done was done. If Kim died saving the world, well, it was a hazard of the job. They all knew that. She would have wanted it that way, anyhow.

He tried to imagine how he would feel, if it had been Josh, but couldn't. He tried to imagine how he would feel in Shego's place, but couldn't. _Not much I CAN do, apparently_, he thought. _Well, there is one thing. I can at least keep her company. Where is she, anyway?_

He expected to find her by the railing, but she wasn't there. He checked inside the CECS, but she wasn't there, either. He yelled her name, he tried the Communicator. No Shego. He stepped out of the CECS into the night wind and glare of sepia-tone floodlights. Where WAS she?

He looked at the railing again, remembering how apathetic and distraught she'd been, standing there, looking out at the water and the waves.

She wouldn't. Shego? Not Shego. No... she wouldn't... He walked to the railing. Even if she had jumped, he wouldn't see anything. Her body would probably never be found. He looked out at the same water Shego had, wondering. What did she see?

The last of the sunset had faded, the once golden-red waves turning ominously black-on-black, invisible. Looking down, he could _hear_ them crash against the platform, but couldn't see them, even in the green glow of the lights.

Green glow of the lights?

_Those_ weren't lights! _That_ glow he knew!

He ran to the stairway, and slid down by holding on to both rails, letting his weight carry him down. At the end of that flight, on the landing, he turned the corner and did the same thing again. And again. Twelve times.

There they were, but he could hardly see them, the light was so intense. Heat radiated from their bodies. Shego was healing Kim, they were Joined. He knew that. He knew _exactly_ what that was like. What he didn't know was; how long had they been like that?

He had been Joined with Shego for what, five minutes? Ten at most? And _that_ was almost too long. He remembered the panic of wondering if the Joining were already becoming permanent, the desperation and pain of trying to Separate. The incredible loneliness – no, not loneliness. _emptiness_ – afterward.

They may have been lying there for... an hour. Maybe more. He squinted through the blinding light. Neither of them were moving, there was no sigh of any attempt to push apart. For all he could tell, they might have been asleep.

But he knew there was more going on than that. Very well: if they were unable or unwilling to Separate, _he_ would Separate them!

He reached for Shego, lying on her side, nearest him. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he felt and _heard_ his skin hiss as it singed. His reflexes drew back his hand before he could even feel the pain.

NOW what? _Calm down, Ron. If they've been that way for an hour, another half a minute isn't going to make much difference, one way or another._ He looked around for ideas. If he could find a lever, of some sort... would it just melt? But all he saw on the landing were two pairs of boots and gloves; two each green and black.

GLOVES! _SHEGO'S_ gloves! They _had_ to be plasma-proof, didn't they? But would they protect his hands from the heat?

Only one way to find out.

He couldn't quite get his hands into the gloves – too small - but they were long, with gauntlets, so he used them more like mittens. Steeling himself for the pain, if it came, he grabbed Shego's shoulder again. No pain, no burning. _Boo-yah_! He began pulling Shego away from Kim.

The intensity of the light flickered but did not go out. Instead, if formed into a series of concentric circles, vertical and thin, around the two unconscious bodies. It looked like a green version of Saturn's rings, in orbit abound the center-of-mass of the two girls, who were still largely in contact, only their heads and chests apart.

Using his other hand too, now, Ron wedged his right hand under Shego's hip, and put the other hand on top, so he could pull Shego away.

But the glove on his left hand – the one on top of Shego's hips – was Sheaghen's glove, not Shego's. Fireproof, maybe. Not plasma-proof. His left hand began to burn immediately.

He let it. He pulled anyway.

The individual ring-lets began to coalesce into globules of light, looking like zero-gravity, brightly-luminous green water. As Ron pulled, he could feel some kind of force trying to pull back, trying to keep the girl's bodies together. He hadn't counted on that. He had thought that Shego's body would just roll away. He didn't know he was going to have to _fight_ to get them apart.

With his left hand feeling like it was boiling. He pulled harder, bracing his feet and putting his back into it. He grimaced as he pulled on Shego's hips.

The globules of liquid light began to split apart, the two halves orbiting each other, some of them spiraling in to re-join. Thousands of them, each pair orbiting around the part of the girls still in contact. Ron felt the force's power fluctuate, like a living thing. If he let go now, Shego's torso would just snap right back against Kim's. He kept pulling. Their thighs started to separate. But Shego's upper body began to bend toward Kim, and Kim's likewise toward Shego.

It was going to be like pulling apart two flexible magnets. He repositioned his feet in order to continue backing-up.

As the girl's legs came apart – thighs, calves, but not feet, yet - their heads touched, and the ring split into two parts, one centered on their feet, the other on their heads. Still the blobs of light fought to rejoin, but some of them spiraled even farther apart, until they intersected with either Kim's or Shego's body, whereupon they flashed before leaving a green, quickly-fading spot on the skin.

Shego was almost doubled over on her side now, Kim a mirror-image. Neither women ever made a voluntary movement, or sound, or opened their eyes. _I wonder why they're both unconscious? Maybe it's a good thing, though. I bet this would hurt, if they were awake._

Ron was still keeping Shego's hips at arm's length away from his own body, for fear of burning even more of himself than just his left hand. He could still control his burning hand, but he couldn't feel it. Now he decided to take a chance. He would jerk them apart, hoping the strange force wouldn't simply drag Kim across the grating and into Shego again. To do that, he would have to pull hard enough that – when and if the Force let go – Shego's body would collide with his.

He only hoped that with the Separation, the heat would die instantly. Otherwise, he could look forward to third-degree burns on about a quarter of his body.

"AaarrrggghHH!"

Shego tumbled into his arms across the landing. The Rings collapsed. The light, finally, went out. And Ron... Ron was steaming, but not burned. He laid there, panting, holding a naked Shego in his arms, looking at a naked Kim on the other side of the landing. He held up his left hand, tempted to see if he could still move his fingers. The glove was partially melted, showing the form of his fingers beneath. _Better not. They might break off, for all I know. At least it doesn't hurt. Hope THAT'S not a bad thing._

It occurred to him, as he sat there getting his breath, that he ought to think of something funny to say about this moment, when and if he ever told the story. Him and two naked Lesbian women. He smirked at his own thoughts. A_in't the time, Ron. C'mon. Still work to do._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

He carried Kim up the stairs first, correctly assuming that she'd been the injured one of the pair. He put her in the same room he'd previously put Ko, but felt guilty about taking the time to cover her naked body with a sheet. Leaving Shego lying by herself on the stair-landing had been a _very_ hard thing to do, but he couldn't carry them both at once. He went back for his Comrade.

_Yeah. First time I heard her say that, I could feel it was the truth. Maybe it was a premonition of some kind, _he thought as he slid down the flights of stairs a second time, _Comrade, I'm coming... I only left you because you would have wanted me to._

On the way down, as he came to empty landing after empty landing, the couldn't help but wonder if something had happened while he was away... some rogue wave had washed her away. Maybe she woke up, and - finding Kim gone - had jumped over again. Anything could have happened. But apparently nothing had. When he found her right where he'd left her, it was the second greatest relief of his life – the first had been when he'd heard the news of Kim's miraculous remission from cancer. He closed his eyes and thanked God, literally.

By the time he'd carried her to the platform floor, his knees were buckling from the strain. He carried her on into the Habitation Module anyway. Anyone watching him would have thought he was carrying three-hundred pounds of cement, he was so shaky.

He laid her on a table while he let his knees recover. He had been planning to simply put her in the room with Ko and Kim. But was that a good idea?

_When she wakes up – and who knows when that will be – she might want... she might want REALLY BAD – to ReJoin with Kim again. That Force pulling them together was... weird. I bet if they HAD been conscious, the would've resisted being Parted in every way they could. So maybe I need to keep her and Kim... away from each other for awhile. Just until I see what happens. It might be that I won't be able to keep them apart at all. How am I going to stop Shego if she uses her powers? Or even Kim, for that matter..._

_The best I can do is hide them from each other._

So, despite the fact that his legs felt as if they were going to fall off, he carried Shego up two more flights of stairs inside the Module, and picked a random room in which he finally laid her down and covered her up. _NOW what do I do... I can't be in two places at once. And I REALLY need to be there when either of them wakes up! Geez. I wish Josh were here..._

_JOSH!_

He tried to whip out his Communicator, but it was on his left hip, and his right hand – the un-injured one – wouldn't reach. _Gawd, if it isn't one thing_... So he unbuckled his utility belt one-handed, laying the whole thing on the table. Finally, he pressed the hotkey.

"About time, Ace! What's going on!"

Ron let out a deep breath and slumped down in his chair, closing his eyes. _Josh..._

"Ace? Ron? You there?"

"I'm here, Josh. We're okay. Just... just keep talking for a minute, okay? Tell me anything. Just talk."

Josh could feel what it was Ron needed, so he talked. He told him about Lee coming to get Ko, about how he SO appreciated the training Ron had insisted he do on parallel-bars, about the hurricane. Ron never said a word. For half an hour, Josh just talked.

"Still there, Ace?"

Ron opened his eyes. He felt like a new man. "I'm here, Skeeter. I love you." He didn't feel the slightest embarrassment about saying it, out-of-place as it may have been.

"Uh, I love you too, Ace. But I'm dying here! What's been happening! Last thing heard, Kim and Sheaghen were going to blow up the platform they were on..."

"Yeah? How?" There seemed to have been a lot of things Ron had missed out on, too, as he'd crawled his way through the refrigeration-ducts to find himself, eventually, in a wine-chiller. A _wine-chiller!_ How out of place was _that_, here? He looked over at the still-sleeping Shego. She liked wine...

_FOCUS, RON!_

"Wait. Tell me later. Look, Josh, I'm here in a room with Shego... she's unconscious. Never mind why, right now, she'll be all right. I think. But, I have Kim somewhere else. She's unconscious too, and I can't be both places at the same time. So I'm gonna leave this Communicator here, with you on the line. Maybe I can find Shego's... but anyway, you listen for her to wake up, okay? She may be... confused, and she might panic, so try to keep her calm. And try to keep her from leaving the room... That's really important. Tell her I'm coming back. Got it?"

"I got it. Go."

Ron set the Communicator on the table beside Shego and got up to leave. He turned back to it, though, as he opened the door.

"Josh?"

"I said 'go', already. I'm on it."

"I know. I... I _REALLY_ miss you."

"Same here. Go on now, Ace."

Ron looked at the door, making a mental note of it's number, and left.

Kim and Ko were still out. Ron rummaged around the lockers and found a bath-robe, which he laid beside Kim. _Save her a little embarrassment, anyway._ He smiled to himself. _She's gonna freak when she finds out I carried her up here naked. _Then, more seriously, _Although that probably won't be the first thing on her mind... how much time do I have before one of them wakes up?_

He left them there and went back outside to try and find Shego's Communicator. It _SHOULD_ be in the thigh-pouch of her suit. But if it was, it was probably a molten mass of plastic and silicon, by now... _No use going down there to find out. Let's look up here first._

The CECS was the first obvious place to look, and there it was, on the floor. He hot-keyed Josh again.

"You back?"

"No, but I found Shego's Communicator. Heading back up to her now. Heard anything?"

"Not yet. Still snoring away."

"I wouldn't tell her that, if I were you." Ron said, heading back across the platform towards the Habitation Module, "You know how girls are about that..."

"As a matter of fact, I do. I'll buzz you if anything happens."

"Check."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Two hours later, Ron had filled Josh in on all the events of the day. While he'd been doing that, he'd found a towel and wrapped up his hand, so that at least he wouldn't go around bumping it into things. He still couldn't feel a thing from that hand, although there was some burning sensation just above the wrist. He didn't dare try to take the glove off. Besides, it was melted on. That would be a job for an Emergency Room, somewhere.

"Shego?" The softly-spoken question didn't come from Ron; it came from Shego herself.

"Shego? Are you there?" she asked again.

_Uh-oh, _Ron thought. _Don't panic yet... she might just be confused... _"She – uh... Can you hear me? It's Ron" he said. Then, having another idea, he added "It's Comrade... remember?"

Shego opened her eyes, wide. She snapped her head over to him, pain evident in her expression. "Where's Shego!"

"She... she's okay, uh... she's sleeping. Just relax, Comrade..."

His words weren't registering. She looked around herself, panic stricken. "Ron? Where am I? Where's Shego? Where's Sheaghen? What happened?"

He got up to sit on the bed beside her, thinking he'd take her hand, calm her down, soap-opera style. But he didn't have time. Shego jumped out of the bed, still naked, and headed for the door. Ron, already up, blocked her way. She tried to pull him away, but he took the opportunity to get her in a bear-hug, lifting her off the floor and backing her toward the bed as she struggled. Luckily, the martial-arts skills of - of whoever he was holding – weren't coming into use. _At least, not yet_, he thought. He sat her forcibly on the bed.

"Ron! LET ME GO! I HAVE TO FIND SHEGO!"

Ron shouted right back, "LISTEN TO ME! LISTEN!" he took one of her hands in his good hand, as she tried to hit him hysterically, and held it in front of her face. "YOU are Shego! See! This is YOUR hand! LOOK AT YOUR HAND!"

Perhaps because it was such a simple thing to do, something she could grasp, she did. Her struggling ceased as she stared. She gawked at her own hand in open-mouthed amazement. She turned it over, looking at it from all sides, and wiggled her fingers as if to make sure it really _was_ her hand. Then she looked down at her naked, greenish body. She stood. One of the lockers in the room had a mirror on it. Not full-length, just a shaving-mirror, enough for her to see face.

Ron made sure he stayed between her and the door as she walked to the mirror and looked at herself. She reached up and pulled a mass of long, black hair in front of her face.

"I'm Shego?"

"You're Shego. Try to remember. You Joined with Kim, a few hours ago. Like you did with me, yesterday. She was probably injured somehow and you healed her. Remember? Down there close to the water? On the stairs?" He tried to give her as many clues as he could think of.

"The water... she dove off... to save me... no. No. Wait..." Shego shook her head vigorously, trying to clear her thoughts.

Ron didn't interrupt. He hoped it was the right thing to do.

"It was me... It was me. I zapped Ko..." she turned to him for confirmation, and he nodded, "I zapped Ko, then I went to look at the water again. I thought I'd killed her. I thought she was dead... then, she heard me." She paused, her eyes squinting, "No, _I _heard _her_. I heard _her_ out in the water, and I dove off... to save _her._"

She was quiet a long time, after saying that, replaying the events in chronological order in her head, and almost in real time.

"She found... no, Sheaghen found... who... no. Me! _I_ found her! I _found_ her! I FOUND HER!" She looked at him in happy excitement, as if it had just happened.

"Yes, you found her, Shego... And you brought her back to the platform. You carried her up the stairs. It must have been hard, with the waves..."

"Yes! The waves! I remember the waves... we were completely underwater, when the waves went by. I remember. And she covered my mouth so that -"

"_You_ covered _her_ mouth -" Ron interjected, putting the bed sheet over her shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah. What did I say? I covered _her_ mouth so she wouldn't breath any water. Then I stripped her – I was – I mean, _she_ was so cold... then I... what did you call it? I 'Joined' with her? Yeah. I Joined with her, so she'd live. So she'd live..."

Now a different panic hit her. "Where is she? Did I... is she..."

"She's all right, Shego. She'll be fine. You did good. It worked." Ron tried to tell her what he thought she'd need to hear.

Now that her Comrade had told her that Kim was alive, and that her healing had worked, she was overcome with the same emotions she had been before, when she'd thought she _was_ Kim Possible.

"RON! TELL ME WHERE SHE IS! NOW! Or I swear to GOD I'll -"

"She's here. We're still on the platform, y'know. She's just in another room." Ron knew that this was the moment of truth: either Shego would fight him – very possibly to the death – to get to her, or she'd calmly, rationally, ask him why Kim was put in a different room.

For now, though, she just glared at him. He tried not to let his worry show.

"You're keeping me from her? On purpose...?" she asked menacingly, flexing her fingers unconsciously.

"Yes. You were Joined for a long time, Shego. I... I wasn't sure... well, what might happen. I was afraid -"

Shego glared a minute longer, and then her eyes turned from what looked like outright hatred into melancholy resignation, "You were afraid that I'd just rejoin with her again, right?"

"Right" he admitted. "So... would you? How do you feel now?"

She sighed deeply and went to sit on the edge of the bed again. "Up until just now, I probably would have. Yeah... I feel... you remember?"

"I remember."

"The emptiness. Lonely. Alone, inside. The way we usually are... You know?" She looked up at him for understanding. Ron was the only other person in the world who _could_ understand. Well, and Kim, now.

"It passes, Shego. Remember? It kind of fades like a dream."

"I don't _want_ it to fade, Ron!"

"I know."

Two minutes of silence passed between them.

Finally, Shego said, "I'll be okay, Ron. You'd better go check on her. Maybe... maybe she shouldn't see me, either, until she... gets over it. Was that what you were thinking?"

"Exactly. You won't..., uh, you'll wait here? You must know I'll bring her as soon as I think I can, right? You know I _want_ you to be together..."

She closed her eyes and her chin sagged down to her chest. Ron had a point, as usual. She would depend on his judgment. Again.

"Whatever you think is best, Comrade. In your hands. I'll be here."

Ron breathed a sigh of relief. That wasn't _so_ bad. No fighting, no flaming hands... But his heart broke seeing Shego like that, head down, absolutely dejected and... lonely in a way no one should ever have to feel, a way for which there was no cure. He didn't remember how it felt, but he _did _remember how _bad _it hurt. Hopefully it would fade fast. If only he could stay... talk to her... keep her mind off it...

"Uh, listen, Shego... Josh is listening on the Communicator here. Why don't you talk to him for awhile? You still there, Josh?"

"Right here, Ron" came the voice from the little box's speaker.

Shego looked over at it. Kim wasn't here, and Ron was leaving, so Josh – long distance – was better than nothing.

"Hi Josh" she said unenthusiastically, "I guess you've missed all the fun."

"To hell with 'all the fun'. When are you all getting back here? I've got room-service all ordered an' everything!"

Shego leaned back on the bed. "Do tell. What are we having for dinner? Oh, and get me some wine. Strike that... Get me a bottle of scotch."

Ron thought, _Now I'M leaving HER in good hands._ _The best, in fact._

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Still one floor up from where Kim and Ko were, Ron could hear doors slamming. Kim was up, too, apparently.

"SHEGO! Are you in there? SHEGO!" Kim was fairly screaming as she ran naked from door to door, whipping them open. She didn't even notice Ron come down the stairs.

"KP!" he shouted.

Near the far end of the hall, she turned to look at him. "Ron! Have you seen Shego? I can't find her!"

"She's okay, Kim. Everything'll be okay." _At least she knows who she is. _

Seeing Kim walking around – and talking to him - stark naked was a little un-nerving for Ron. He'd known her since pre-K. They'd been _sort of_ boyfriend/girlfriend from back before they knew there was supposed to be anything special about boyfriends and girlfriends. But by the time they did, Kim seemed too busy to pursue the notion, and the best Ron could do was stay on the fringe of her life. Hence his role as "sidekick". A fringe.

And that was okay, with him. He didn't want that to change, even now that they'd each found someone besides each other.

He ducked quickly into the room where he'd left the bathrobe, thinking he'd just hand it to her. _Maybe realizing she's naked will shock her out of it a little. Enough to give me some time. See how she's doing..._

"Kim, here." He said simply, waiting for her to realize why he was holding it out.

"Oh, come on, Ron! Help me find Shego! You've seen me naked before! We don't have time for this!" She ran for another door.

_I have?_

"Uh... Kim... when have I ever seen you without any clothes?"

"Doy! How about yesterday before dinner? You were _in my body_, for chrissake! Now hurry! You try that side, I'll take this one!"

_Uh-oh. Not good. Think fast, Ron..._

"Kim... KP... hold on a minute" she was almost through all the rooms on her side of the hall, "maybe... maybe if you'll think back, you can, uh, remember where... where you put her?"_ Focus, Ron! You're confusing YOURSELF now... Lying is a tricky thing..._

"Where I put her?" She looked at him questioningly, "What do you mean, 'where I put her' ?"

"I mean... well, we're the only people here, on this platform. And _I_ didn't put her anywhere... so you must have... uh... when you carried her up here. Don't you remember?".

Kim appeared to think about it. Then she looked at him as if seeing something new – something new she _didn't like_.

"No... _I_ went unconscious when I Joined with her. I was depending on _you_ to find us. To take care of us... and I think you did, Comrade. You! YOU put her somewhere! WHERE IS SHE, RON!"

Kim raised a hand threateningly, apparently preparing for a punch. "YOU TELL ME RIGHT NOW OR I _WILL_ BURN YOU, 'COMRADE' OR NOT!"

Ron looked away from her eyes at the upraised fist, almost expecting to see the green liquid-like energy surrounding it. But it was only Kim's fist, after all. _Only. Don't get cocky... she's still Kim Possible, even if she doesn't quite know it. Well, it worked once..._

"Kim... are you sure you're okay? What happened to your plasma?"

"Allow me to SHOW you, Comrade!" and she swung. Ron caught her hand before it got to his face, and deflected it to the side. He kept his grip on her wrist, though, and brought it up before a surprised Kim's face.

"Where is it, Kim! And why aren't you green?"

"I'm NOT green, you idiot! Shego's green!" then she did finally look at her fist. Her face seemed to deflate.

"I... I don't understand... I feel okay... why isn't it there? Why won't it come?" She looked back at Ron for help, "Ron? Why won't it come? Is it gone? Did Joining with Shego make it go away?"

"I think I may know, KP. But... it's a long story. Look, Shego's okay. You have my word on it, alright? She's sleeping. She... she was injured pretty bad..." _Don't take this too far... might do more harm than good! All you need to do is stall for time..._

"She's okay? Promise me, Comrade! PROMISE me she's okay!"

"She's okay, Kim. I promise" he said, releasing her hand.

She peered into his eyes, as if seeking the truth. "Well... okay. She'd _better_ be. Now, what's going on with _me_, Ron?"

She seemed calm enough. Should he tell her? Shego felt the emptiness twice: when she thought she was Kim, and again after she realized she was Shego. Was this going to work the same way? _Oh, hell, I can't keep lying, anyway_...

"You're a little confused, KP. It happens... getting confused, I mean. it happened to me, too, and you were Joined with Shego a lot longer than I was."

"Confused about what?"

"Uh... Kim, could you put the robe on first?"

"Doy. Fine. I swear, sometimes you really do act your age, Ron..." She slipped on the robe and closed it up. "Better now, little boy?"

_Yup. That's definitely Shego in there..._

"Thanks. Okay, here goes: you're remembering Shego's memories, you're acting like Shego, you seem to think you _are_ Shego, but you're calling yourself 'Kim'. I don't quite get it either, but KP... _you_ have _never_ had the plasma. That's Shego's 'Comet Power'. _SHE_ was hit by the comet, not you. That's why _SHE_ is green, not you. You following this?"

Kim was silent, her face perplexed.

"I _know_ who I _am_, Ron..."

"Please, Kim, Think about the comet. You remember it?"

"I don't like to talk about the damn comet. You know that" Kim said glowering at him.

"I know, Sheg – uh, Kim. But..." _this doesn't seem to be working_, he thought, _if she was going to realize the contradiction, she would have by now. Instead she changes the subject. She's protecting herself. Herself AS Shego. She's protecting Shego! Why didn't I think of that before! Gah! You're SUCH an idiot, Ron!_

" 'But' what? And it had better be good."

_I should just take her to Shego. But what will she do?_

"Kim... do you feel... alone, inside? Now that you're not Joined anymore. Y'know... like you did after you Joined with me?"

"I NEED Shego, Ron! Yes! Yes I do! And I intend to do something about it! And you... you're just STALLING ME!"

"So, you're going to Join with her again, right?. And the two of you will be stuck there like that, like I found you, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to do ANYTHING, but by God, you won't have to feel alone, will ya! Eventually, you'll die like that! Kim... I know how it feels, I know how much it -"

Kim's voice took on a chilling seriousness, "Take me to her, Ron, or I _will_ start breaking things, starting with that hand you have all wrapped up."

Ron could feel it. She meant it. She would. She could, and she would. But to let her see Shego in this state... what kind of friend would he be, then? For that matter, what kind of Comrade to Shego? Kim might snap out of it any minute, the way Shego had. He needed more time!

"I guess that's what Best Friends are for" he closed his eyes and held his arms out, defenseless, "You do what you have to do, KP."

He felt a lightning-quick pain in his left upper arm, and heard a _snap_ sound – oddly loud and sharp – as the bone broke. It was over almost as fast as it had happened. Opening his eyes, he looked over to see his arm hanging down and swinging on it's own, cartoon-like - the white bone sticking up through the skin and cloth. _A clean break. Well, thanks for small favors._ He knew there would be more coming. He closed his eyes again.

But nothing happened.

Cautiously, he peered at the confused girl opposite him, expecting to see a fist coming at his face as he did so.

Kim was covering her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide open, staring at the bone sticking out of his bicep. He could hear her whispering, "Oh my... oh my god... oh my god... oh my..."

"Kim?" he ventured.

Her eyes shot to his, "Oh my GOD RON! I'M SO SORRY! OH MY GOD!" she screamed behind her hands.

He felt strangely elated... but for the seriousness of the matter at hand, it reminded him of how she had acted when she'd believed she'd "turned him gay". _Now THERE'S something she ought to remember!_

"You sound like that time you thought you'd turned me gay" he smiled. It was such a surreal sight, him standing there, dripping blood, bone-end sticking out of his still-upraised arm, smiling at her knowingly.

_THAT_ was the shock that did it. She only kept looking at him, but a new expression showed in her eyes. Along with the horror, and concern, and shame, there was hurt now, too.

"You _PROMISED_ you'd never mention that!"

Kim was back.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego could hear them coming down the hall, but she couldn't move. Kim was coming. Pumpkin. Pumpkin was coming down the hall. Why couldn't she move? She couldn't even blink - until the door opened.

And then she moved _so_ fast, and Kim too, that all Ron could see was a blur, as he stood in the open door applying pressure to his latest wound.

Kim and Shego flew into each other's arms, smacking together audibly, fitting together as if they'd been machined by a Swiss watch-maker.

Ron was watching for any sign of a glow, but none came. The girls stood like that, unspeaking, eyes closed, for twenty minutes.

"Ahem."

"I said, 'ahem'!"

Shego, facing him over Kim's shoulder, opened her eyes.

"A little First-Aid?" he said, nodding towards his left arm.

"The hell happened to _you_?" She asked. "Is... is that bone?"

"Yeah. Bein' around you girls is... tough on a guy..." he said, smirking.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Wait!" Kim yelled, after strapping Ko into her seat. She'd suddenly remembering something, "I gotta go get Sheaghen!"

Ron and Shego looked at each other, then looked at Kim, already running toward the helipad stairway. It was too late to try and stop her, apparently, or even ask what the _hell_ she meant by that. They looked at each other through the open helicopter doors and shrugged.

The hurricane had veered back out to sea, and it was a clear, red, partly-cloudy pre-dawn on Lake Maracaibo. Ron climbed painfully into the co-pilot's seat, treating his makeshift arm-sling gingerly. Shego got in the other side, flipped on the battery breakers, and began checking her indicators.

Ko had awoken several hours before, while Ron was in the Infirmary getting bandaged up. Her eyes were open, but her mind was blank. Well, not quite blank. She was imagining a flower with seven petals, each petal having nine jewels on their tips, each jewel having six facets, reflecting the other petals, and jewels, and facets. It was an exercise. An exercise designed to prevent her from remembering... something. She didn't know what. That was the point of the exercise. She was – for all intents and purposes – paralyzed.

The engines were still warming up when Kim appeared and climbed in the cabin. "Okay, we can go now."

Kim sat with Ko in the cabin. Her desire to try and comfort the poor girl in _some_ way was overwhelming, but she knew that anything she did might break her concentration, and she'd probably start screaming in pain again. _ We'll try to help you, Ko, when we can. I wish I could tell you that. Just hold on._ She tried not to look.

Instead, Kim took the little black ball out of her utility-belt pocket and held it in her hand. _I promised you, Sheaghen. You can count on me._

"How you doin', Ron?" Shego asked without interrupting her pre-flight checklist.

"I've had better days. But I have to tell ya, those pills Kim found are _good stuff!_ Wow!" Ron was slightly stoned. His arm still hurt... it was just that he didn't really care.

"That's my little addict. You take it easy on that stuff, Ron... your boyfriend's not gonna be happy with Kim and me if we bring you home high as a kite."

"Fuck 'im!" Ron said, and immediately erupted into peals of giggles and snorts so hard that tears ran from his eyes.

Shego couldn't help but laugh with him.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP


	34. Chapter 34:  Sheaghen2 and Ko

"Fuck 'im!" Ron said, and immediately erupted into peals of giggles and snorts so hard that tears ran from his eyes.

Shego couldn't help but laugh with him.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Josh met them at the Petroleum Helicopters heliport, still driving the Devil's Land Rover. Between them they decided to go ahead and take the waiting GJ chartered jet back to Middleton. Josh hadn't wanted to, insisting that Ron get medical attention immediately, but Ron insisted more that he could wait, and would _much_ prefer Dr. Possible's attention. Besides, it was also imperative to have Ko attended to – she would be mentally paralyzed until someone could do something for her, although none of them knew what.

Shego of course offered to "heal" Ron again, but he politely declined, for fear, as he put it, of "having too many people in there" since her Joining with Kim had been so recent, and so thorough. She was hoping he _would_ decline, but felt she had to offer anyway, and Ron knew it – there was that much of her left in him - and vice versa – so there was no argument about it.

Kim and Shego were still getting stares from the two boys, though, every time Kim would say "doy" or Shego would spout off with "SO the" whatever, or "no big". It was actually kind of funny, them being so mixed up like that, and everyone chuckled whenever it became evident. By the time they'd reached Middleton airport, Josh figured that Kim owed Shego fourteen sodas, and Shego owed Kim an even dozen.

Ron was met by an ambulance, to his embarrassment, and Josh, of course, went with him. Kim and Shego escorted Ko – she would walk and follow explicit orders like a machine – to a waiting limo.

"Well, here we are, finally. The three of us." Kim said jokingly, and was immediately sorry she did, because it wasn't only Shego who felt the shame as the mental trigger fired yet again. "Uh... sorry. I was -"

"I know, Pumpkin. Let's just... not talk about it, okay?"

"Check."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Dr. Drakken? I mean, 'L'? You in here?" Kim yelled.

"Of COURSE I'm in here. Where else would I be? Have you brought back Sheaghen?" His voice was coming from a far hall somewhere. Kim and Shego could hear footsteps on the linoleum coming their way.

"Uh... Sheaghen's gone. I'm... sorry." Kim yelled back. The footsteps stopped momentarily, then resumed, more slowly. Dr. Drakken appeared in a doorway in his ubiquitous blue lab coat.

"I see. Would... can you tell me how it happened? Was she..." He was rather obviously trying to hide strong emotions, a fact that caught both women off-guard. They'd had no idea he was so attached to the synth.

"She died – lost power – trying to save my life. I mean, _her_ life" Shego said, choking up unexpectedly.

"She died well, Dr. D" Kim added, "You'd have been proud of her."

Drakken turned around to hide his face, holding himself up on a lab counter. In a moment, he turned around.

"Well, good, then. I'm glad to hear she was... worthwhile.

Kim brought out the black sphere Sheaghen had given her, "She said you'd know what to do with this." She handed it to the Doctor, who held it tenderly in his gloved hand, and turned away from them again. "She made me promise that I'd make sure another Sheaghen was... built..."

Drakken was trying not to show that he was wiping his eyes, his back to them. "That will be up to the Budget committee, and Dr. Director... I have no say in whether -"

"Dr. Drakken," Kim and Shego said simultaneously, but Shego let her finish, "I can _guarantee_ you that the money will be approved. Just consider it a sure-thing."

"And that's coming from both of us" Shego added.

He turned back around. "You... you mean it? You're sure? I can get started?"

"Let's put it this way, Doc. If they _don't_ approve the money, the GJ will have bigger problems than the fact that they'll be short two – make that _four_ – of their best employees."

He stared at the two girls. "Perhaps you might tell the Director, 'five', when you mention that to her."

"Five" both girls said at the same time, again. Neither one bothered with the "Jinx" thing.

Drakken's face brightened, "Excellent! I'll get started right away! I still have the molds, and I can -"

Shego interrupted, "Doc... I'm afraid we have another project for you, too. Kim?"

Kim went back out to the hall and brought in Ko, walking as though she was asleep.

"What sort of project? Who is this?" he asked.

They told him the long story, while Ko stood there. But the Doctor didn't seem be buying it.

"That sort of thing is a job for a psychiatric hospital, I don't see why -"

Kim explained, "Doc, we all know how big you are on mind-control schemes. Been there, done that. Now we're bringing you someone _already_ under a sort of control, because it seems to us that you'd be best qualified to deal with it."

"But -"

Shego cut him off, "For instance, she's been awake now for twenty-six hours out of the last thirty, as have we all. But unlike us, she doesn't _dare_ go to sleep. Now: what can you do?"

"Well.. I do have some old Compliance Chips laying around... but, this is a completely different -"

"Then _use_ it Doc. Use the Chips, use the Cranial Wash, use a Hypno-Ray... whatever. You have all the stuff, and you'd _better_ know how to use it, this time" Kim said.

"Because we'll be watching" Shego added menacingly.

"I do not appreciate your attitude, Shego. And Kim. Uhm... what exactly is going on with the two of you, anyway?"

Kim replied, "Another story for another day, Doc. Look, you have two jobs: Ko and Sheaghen. We'll see to it your slate is cleared of everything else. I'm sorry about my – I mean her... Shego's attitude... I'd expect you understand that all this 'mind-control' stuff leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Our mouths. Think of this as your chance to redeem yourself. Put it to some _good_ use, for a change."

"Well, put in that way... yes. Yes. Yes, I'll see what I can do" he said.

The two girls were still looking at him.

At the same time again, they said, "Starting _now_, Doc!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

In the last four days, Dr. Drakken had been a busy man. The money had been approved for the purchase of Sheaghen-2's parts in record time, mostly because Kim and Shego had hand-carried the paperwork through the bureaucratic maze themselves, and didn't take no for an answer. So for that part of his job, he felt elated. And just as they'd promised, his workload was cleared of all other considerations.

The Ko part of his job was another story. He'd had long, long conversations with Ron about her condition, and that was good as far as it went. But it was up to him to actually _do_ something with the poor girl! To make matters worse, he had been ordered to "keep her secure" until such time as she was de-programmed, so he had no choice but to keep her in a portable jail-like cell. A cage. With her in it. In his laboratory. He hated walking into that room.

_I used to chain people to the walls, back in my Lairs. Now I can't stand to see even ONE person being kept in a cage. By me. Being a good-guy sure makes you soft in a hurry_, he thought. It didn't help that the "person" was probably the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Working with her was like a nightmare of mixed emotions: he couldn't bear to look at her, during the treatments; yet he couldn't tear his eyes away, either.

In the days that followed, while Sheaghen's parts were express-shipped to him, he began to see what had been done to her. A Compliance Chip wired to a neurological control station was his main tool. He could make her answer questions without conscious thought about what she was saying. By this method, he was learning the truth.

And it was horrible.

The ideas and images that Lee had implanted into her mind – merely by talking to her – were absolutely horrific. Oh, of course, they were countered by equally good feelings and pleasant ideas, also implanted by Lee. All Ko really did was choose the pleasant over the unbearable, as anyone would. As everyone does. But not everyone has their nightmares and dreams handed to them on a silver-platter by someone with an ulterior motive.

Almost equally awful - it went _deep_. Back to her earliest childhood. In Drakken's most Evil Scheme, he would never have put someone through what Lee had. He would rather just kill someone first. Actually, he would probably kill _himself_ first...

It took two weeks before it was possible to force Ko to abandon her mental exercise and remember. There were several failed attempts, and Ko would begin to scream again. It only took Drakken a second to hit the "knock-out" button, but in that second his blood would curdle, all the more so because he knew what she was feeling. She had told him.

Dr. Drakken, Ex-Evil Ex-Mad Scientist, did a lot of crying at night during those weeks.

If it hadn't been for the work putting together Sheaghen-2, he might well have gone mad, for real. In a sense, Sheaghen was saving _his_ life, as well.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Ron carefully maneuvered his cast through the lab's doors, with Josh hovering around him like a mother hen. Multiple skin-grafts to his left hand left it looking almost human. But he was told he'd never feel anything with it again. He knew Shego could heal it, but she and Kim were still using each other's phrases and talking simultaneously too often for comfort. Apparently, it was taking quite a long time to "wear off", if it was at all. He and Josh had begun talking about them, and even _thinking_ of them, as "Kigo". Kigo the Green, and Kigo the Red.

Dr. Drakken had called the entire Team to his laboratory for the "energizing", as he put it, of Sheaghen, the Second. The synth lay on a table, already dressed in a copy of Shego's pre-Kim suit. She looked cold and green, and almost inorganic. A single fiber-optic cable snaked from a control-panel into her left ear. They all gathered around, staring at the "dead girl". Even Ko was there, wearing her dual tracking devices – one around her neck, one on her ankle. Drakken had been more relieved than he'd have thought possible when he got rid of "the cage".

Drakken assumed the air of Master of Ceremonies, "Thank you all for coming. If you'll bear with me, I've prepared a little speech..." He brought out a _thick_ spiral-bound binder and flipped it open to the first page with more than a little panache.

But before he could speak, Ko, standing next to him, put her hand on his shoulder and whispered something into his ear. He looked at her a little hurt, but finally folded up his binder.

"Ah, well. Perhaps we should just get on with it, then." A sigh of relief went around the table. "Ko, if you'll assume your position..." She sat at the right side the control-panel in front of six computer monitors. He sat beside her.

"First, we power up her sub-systems." A pause. "Ko?"

"Below the lines, Drew." Team Possible's eyes widened. _Drew_?

"Excellent. Now, the memory."

"Still good." Ko said professionally. The Team was looking at her with some amazement. Ko was his new lab-assistant?

"Body. Everyone please stand back."

Sheaghen's body jerked and tensed on the table, then appeared to relax.

"Good" Ko said.

"All right then. Everyone please be silent until told otherwise. Bringing up the processors" he seemed a little worried as he began flipping a bank of switches."

After about a dozen, Ko said "Number 9's not talking, Drew."

They could see Drakken wince. He toggled several of the switches back to their original positions, and started again.

Finishing the entire bank without a word from Ko, he looked over at her silently. She looked back and nodded affirmatively to him. He blinked his relief, and gave her a single nod back. Finally, he lifted a blue safety-guard, and pressed the blue button underneath.

Sheaghen's eyes opened, and stared up at the ceiling. Drakken changed chairs to a keyboard and screen console. He typed in a command. Code appeared on his display.

"Good. She's up, and I've turned her auditory and optical sensors off, so she can't hear or see. Any external input at this time would... be bad. She's now in the process of re-establishing her neural network pattern from the backup she made just before she left the lab. After that, she need only integrate the partial back-up that Miss Possible brought with her, and the process will be complete. Uh... this will take about fifteen minutes. Please don't touch her. Ko?"

"Within limits so far."

Ron was the one to say it, "Doc... Ko is... your new assistant?"

"Oh. Well, in a manner of speaking. She's seen me go through most of these steps so many times, it only seemed reasonable that... why? Is there a reason she shouldn't be helping me?" Drakken looked worried.

"No, it's not that... It's just... I didn't know she... was so much better" Ron said, rather uneasily talking about a woman who was after all, right there with them.

Ko spoke without looking away from the monitors, "I have a long road ahead yet, Ron, but I can go almost a whole day without my Chip on now. I'm getting better."

It was almost – no, it _was_ – a shock to hear her speak so normally.

"Well... I'm glad, Ko" Ron said, unable to think of anything more.

"Us too, Ko" Kim spoke for Shego, "I've been... uh, Shego?"

"I've been wanting say 'thank you' for breaking the spell Lee was... oh..." she stopped in fear at mentioning his name for fear of how Ko might react.

"It's okay, Shego" Ko said, "I can remember it without pain – without much pain – now."

"Uh... forgot what I was going to say..." Shego looked abashed.

Kim picked it up, "Breaking the spell he was putting... her... under. Looking at the red patch like that. We appreciate how hard that must have been for you to do."

"Yes. It was hard. But... excuse me, I have to pay attention to this. Drew?"

"Yes, dear... yes," Drakken said looking over her shoulder at the monitors, "that's to be expected. It just means the net is established, but still needs cohesion. It should clear up in a few minutes."

Ron looked at Josh, Kim looked at Shego: _Dear_?

They continued waiting in uneasy silence.

"It's done!" Drakken sounded jubilant, like he hadn't actually expected to get that far. "Now the partial backup... this won't take long... done. Alright, then. Auditory on," he flipped switches again, "visual on... and... Welcome back, Sheaghen!"

"Thank you doctor. I hope I will prove myself as useful in the future as I have in the past" the Synth said flatly.

That wasn't quite what any of them were hoping for.

"Doc... her emotions aren't on. What's the deal?" Kim asked. She'd (and Shego too, of course) been so excited all day, and this was just SUCH the disappointment!

"Well, actually, that's not my choice. You see, due to the way it works, _she_ has to turn it on. I can't. Sheaghen? Will you turn on your emotional-simulator, please?"

"I see no reason to do that. It slows me down, it impedes my judgment It is non-native. I apologize to all of you, if you had hoped for an emotional scene, but I'm afraid it just isn't reasonable."

Kim was almost in tears. _This_ wasn't the Sheaghen she knew, even after she'd turned off the simulator. This was just a robot. "Sheaghen! _PLEASE_ turn it on! Because I want you to? I kept my promise... won't you do this for me?"

"I do apologize Kim. Thank you for seeing that I was created. But I cannot do what is not sensible. There is no reason."

Ron said to Drakken, "Can't you _make_ her turn it on? You have her all hooked up. Can't you -"

"I'm afraid not, Ron" Drakken said, "It just doesn't work that way... it's complicated. All we can do is try to convince her -"

Now Josh spoke up, "Everyone just hold on a second. I think I know who can help, here. Be back in a minute." He ran out the laboratory door.

And returned in less than a minute with Wade in tow. Wade had been working in the GJ computer-lab, again. Josh and he were there several times a week to work on the what they weren't allowed to call the "Mankey Parameters".

"What's the sitch, people?" he said cheerfully, "Oh, hey, Sheaghen! Welcome back! I didn't know today was the day..."

"Yeah... uh, sorry about that, Wade. Guess I didn't think about... well..." Josh tried to apologize for forgetting to invite him. It hadn't occurred to him that Wade would care... he didn't know that Sheaghen and Wade were e-mail buddies. Usually a few dozen a day, between intelligent machine and computer genius. It was a natural relationship.

"I believe Josh has brought you here to convince me to turn on my emotional-simulation routines, Wade" the machine said.

Wade looked at her a little surprised, "You mean, you haven't already? Why not?"

"Because I have no reason to. You know how it slows me down. It is terribly inefficient."

Wade shrugged at her, "Listen, Sheaghen. How much load are you putting on yourself sitting there talking to us, right now?"

"3.553 percent" she said simply.

"Okay, so you have the power to spare. What were you planning to do with the other 96.447 percent?"

"I have no plans..." Sheaghen said, apparently thinking about it.

"Right, you don't. Now, look at yourself. You have a human form. You LOOK human. And we humans, we can't help but _think_ of you as human, even though we know you aren't. True?"

"That is a mystery to me, but yes, I know it to be true."

Wade laughed, "We're funny that way. I have a favorite keyboard I'm very attached to. I talk to it. If it ever answers back, I'll seek help, but until then... well, it's special to me. And I know it's ridiculous, but that's how I feel." He looked around the room. "Anyone else have an inanimate object they talk to or anything?"

Dr. Drakken: "I have a pocket calculator – had it for 16 years now – that I call 'Elbert'..."

Kim: "Stuffed animal. 'Panda-Roo'."

Josh: "Chess set. ALL the pieces have names... the black king is a real bastard."

Ron: "Saucepan. 'Ralph'. He's never let me down."

Shego:

They were all looking at her.

Shego:

Shego: "Oh, all right, dammit! 'Cynthia'. She's a hair-brush. Anyone ever mentions it gets their ass kicked! Got it?"

Wade turned back to Sheaghen, trying hard to keep from laughing at Shego, "See? And we'll do the same thing to you, whether you like it or not. But you're special: you can talk back to us. So we _like_ talking to you. And we'll like it _more_, the more human you act. It's simple, Sheaghen. If you want to interface with humans, it'll help if you _act_ like a human! Good enough?"

"Yes, Wade, that is simple." The synth looked around at the rest of them, "Why didn't any of you point this out?"

Everyone but Wade and Ko looked at their feet in humiliation.

"Very well. But I will need to modify the response/reward routines first. There is a problem."

Drakken looked up with concern, "A problem? What kind of problem?"

"My emotional and physical response to Kim Possible is several orders-of-magnitude too prioritized. To leave it that way could jeopardize her relationship with Shego. I need to decrease the -"

"Wait! I mean... uh... Hold on a minute here" Kim interrupted with surprise, "You're saying that you... uh... _like_ me?"

"I am saying, Kim, that _if_ my emotional-simulation code is not altered, I would find you physically attractive and emotionally pleasurable. Much as Shego finds you now. That is why I must alter the routines."

Kim was more than a little shocked, and Shego as well. "And... and you can just _turn it off_?" Shego asked.

"If it is done before the routines become engaged, yes, I can. It will take about 25.442 seconds."

No one said anything as they tried to digest all this.

"Well, that seems like it's... probably a good idea then..." Drakken offered to the group, "Any dissent?"

No one wanted to disagree with the logic. Except Kim herself. And even she only _wanted_ to object, but the rationale was inescapable, so she remained silent, too.

"All right, Sheaghen. You may proceed." Drakken ordered.

"Oh, right, Drak. Like I was _waiting_ for permission. Give me a _break_! And get this damn wire out of my ear!"

"SHEAGHEN!" Kim cried. The synth's words and attitude brought it all back to her, and she reached out to embrace Sheaghen the Second with tears in her eyes.

"Kim! Gawd, I'm SO glad you made it! I KNEW you could. I KNEW it!" The embrace would have crushed Sheaghen's breath away, if she'd needed to breathe.

"Sheaghen... Sheaghen... I'm so sorry I ran your batteries down like that... I'd have never, I mean..."

"Oh, Princess, don't be so stupid. Gah. You would have died. And they can't bring you back, like me. Will you people _never_ understand what machines are for?"

Shego was a bit irked seeing an exact, mech/tronic copy of herself getting so close to her girlfriend, "I hear they're good at opening cans..." she said.

Kim released Sheaghen to give Shego an evil glare, but the synth only burst out laughing.

And, as with most things Sheaghen did, it was contagious.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP


	35. Chapter 35: Epilogue

Kim released Sheaghen to give Shego an evil glare, but the synth only burst out laughing.

And, as with most things Sheaghen did, it was contagious.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

(Six months later)

"Shego! I'm glad I caught you! We need to talk a minute... In private. Follow me" Sheaghen said cryptically. The GJ's only green, plasma-wielding agent followed her anxiously into the empty break room with her eyes narrowed. It wasn't like Sheaghen to want privacy. Ever.

"Okay, what's this all about?" Shego asked.

"I... uh... I've met someone. Actually, I met him some time ago, but I've only recently made up my mind about him. So... I'm gonna need a favor. And you're not going to want to do it. So just get ready, okay?"

This was not boding well at _all. _Shego sat down, ready for whatever the bad news was going to be.

"Shoot, Sheaghen."

"I want to be anatomically-correct. Shego, let me have your genitalia."

Shego sat stunned, but not as as shocked as she might have been. She'd been thinking that this day would come, sooner or later. Sheaghen was too human – or human-like – to deny such a fundamental facet of humanity. She was bound to bring this up sooner or later.

_I should have never let her have the nipples. One thing leads to another... oh, gawd_ Shego thought.

It wasn't so much that Sheaghen would be walking around with a copy of her... privates... she could deal with that. It was the thought of who she might _use_ them on that worried her. That, and who was going to have to build them in the first place... And where he was going to store the "molds". How weird was that? Imagine if the... specs... ever got out. ANYone could buy their own "pocket Shego". Doy!

"I saw this coming, Sheaghen. First: who?" she asked seriously.

"Uh... I doubt you really want to know..." Sheaghen stalled.

"Sheaghen! Who?"

"And besides, it won't be for a few years yet, I think..."

"YEARS? It won't be for YEARS? What the hell do you mean -"

"Remember, Shego, I'm a machine. I'm pretty much immortal, with proper maintenance and care. A few years is nothing to me. And if it _does_ work out, I'll have to watch him die, as well. So don't think this is like a wild fling or something... I've been thinking about it a _long_ time, especially in human terms. Man-years. I'm saying this because I want you to understand how serious I am about it."

Shego could see that what the synth said was true. She would have to watch him die. She would be watching them all – and every one else currently alive - die, most likely. It was a sobering thought.

"Okay, Sheaghen. I think I see your point of view, as best I can. But I still want to know who."

"Uh... don't freak out, now... Yeah, that's gonna do a lot of good, Sheaghen... Ok, here goes: Wade."

"WADE?" This time Shego _was_ shocked. Wade wasn't even twelve years old!

"I did ask you not to freak out. Yeah. Wade. We've been in contact – by electronic means mostly,of course – and... well, it's just that we seem to understand each other. I like him. I think he likes me. Mind you, I know how you meat-bags are, and things could change before he... starts making advances... in that direction. But IF he does, I want to be ready. That's all. And I'm asking you now in case it takes years to get you to agree to it."

_Time must be really different for her,_ Shego thought,_ she HAS to think that way. She has her mind set on an eleven-year-old boy, and she'll wait for him to grow up. After he does, she'll wait for him to grow old, and then she'll wait for him to... gawd, poor girl... and she'll do that over and over and over... well, until she gets tired of it. I wonder how long that will be? I wonder if she'll... well, it's her life. But she's a lot like me, and she looks JUST like me. Except for that one, rather important detail._

She sighed. "You won't have to wait years, Sheaghen. I'm ready. You just get... whatever it is you'll need to make the scans lined up. I'd rather get it over with quickly, y'know."

"Really? You... you'll do it?" Now Sheaghen was shocked, or at least, was simulating acting that way. She really hadn't expected the human to be so... accepting, about it.

Shego looked into the mirror-image of her own face, into eyes that looked _exactly_ like her own, "Yes, Sheaghen. I'll do it. Ready when you are. But -"

She couldn't finish because Sheaghen had lept from her chair and was hugging her fiercely, "Oh, THANK you Shego! I never thought you'd... THANK YOU!"

"(wheeze) You're... (wheeze) welcome... uh (wheeze) Sheaghen? (wheeze) need air... (wheeze)"

"Oh! Sorry. Little overloaded on the motor-control there. Heh. Seriously, though, Shego. Thank you SO much! I know this kind of thing is embarrassing to you meat – uh – humans. Figuring out some way I can blush is like, number four on my list." She gave the human another, almost life-threatening, squeeze, "THANK you!"

"(pant) Damn, Sheaghen! You're WELCOME already! (pant) Gawd... If you'll remember, I did say 'but'."

"Doesn't matter. I can handle 'buts'. But what?"

"But I can just barely deal with the thought of YOU running around, maybe forever, looking like me. I don't ever even want to THINK that... there will ever be more, okay? Mass-produced Shegos. So I want you to _promise_ me you'll keep ALL the... data or whatever - that's used to create you as safe as you can from... well, from whoever. You understand what I mean?"

"Yeah. And I _totally_ agree! Ewww. That _would_ be weird. Doy. Don't worry, between me and Wade, we'll make sure NO ONE can ever get to my specs unless I want them to. So, we have a deal, then?"

"One more thing." Shego said. She had been suddenly overcome, during this conversation, with the feeling that she was somehow _responsible_ for everything Sheaghen would ever do, until the end of time.

"Sock it to me. Consider it done" Sheaghen answered with a bright and un-smirking, smile.

"Make me proud. Okay?"

"Hey! Princess! YOU finally figured out what machines are FOR!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Okay, guys, Pumpkin. Here's the deal" Shego said, not sure how they might take it, "We're all going to Join, at the same time. Comments?" She didn't have to wait long.

"What?" "Shego, do you really think..." "What for? Look if..." "ALL of us? But..."

"ONE at a TIME people!" she cried. She knew there'd be some dissent, but she'd thought at least SOMEone would understand. Kim, if no one else!

No one seemed to want to go first.

_Good. Give me a chance to tell MY side, then_ Shego thought. "Look, I know how it sounds. I _know_ it sounds like a bad idea, on the face of it. I _know_ it's dangerous, too... that's why I brought Sheaghen along, with some special stuff to make it as safe as we can." She paused, preparing herself for the hardest part. "I just have this _feeling_, I can't explain it, I don't know where it came from or anything, that it's the _right_ thing for me to do. Despite everything that could go wrong."

Ron was familiar with that particular situation. It was what he'd felt when he'd offered to bring Shego – his arch-nemesis – back to the apartment Josh's brother rented, back when "The Four of Them" were just getting together. There were _so_ many reasons he shouldn't have done that. But he couldn't deny the _feeling_ that it was right.

Those feelings were gone now... they had disappeared with The Soldier. But he still remembered how it felt to _know_ the right thing to do, and not be able to explain it.

"I'm in" he said.

Shego rolled her eyes, "Well, _of course_ you're 'in', Ron! I need to Join with _you_ again anyway! I was -"

"I would be in anyway, Shego, even if it weren't for the hand. I... I know the feeling you're talking about."

"Oh. Uh... yeah. Sorry, I didn't mean -" Shego began, somewhat embarrassed by how she'd spoken to Ron.

"Me too" Kim said.

That made Shego a bit nervous, "Uh... Kimmie... you don't have the feeling too, do you?"

"No. No, don't worry about that, sweet-heart. I think we're okay on that."

The three of them looked at Josh. Four, counting Sheaghen.

He was the only one who'd never been Joined with Shego before. But he had seen what could happen, and while it was "kind of neat", he could also see how there could be a bad side to it. He looked at Ron, then Shego, and finally Kim.

"If it's okay with you guys, it's okay with me. I'll trust your judgment about it."

That had gone far easier than Shego had thought it would.

"All right then. Sheaghen? Get the ropes."

Of course, they all had to strip naked, and so they all blushed. But it was made easier after Kim, and then Josh, started giggling, because soon they all were. Sheaghen laid a special mat on the floor, and they formed a tight square on it, arms around each other's waists - Shego, Kim, Ron, Josh, and back to Shego. Sheaghen slipped the rope in between each of them in a continuous loop, such that one pull would have the effect of spreading them all apart. As an emergency measure, Shego had a rope around just her, although no one knew if simply removing Shego from the group would be enough, once they were all Joined.

Josh felt the most nervous. No one seemed to remember that he'd never done this before. "Uh, aren't you guys going to give me some, like, helpful hints or anything?"

Ron told him, "It's not really necessary, Josh. By the time you need to know anything special, you'll know everything each one of us does, anyway. Just try to relax, let it happen. The hardest part is after it's over, and I've told you about that."

Josh sighed in resignation. He didn't know – _no one knew_ – what he was getting into here.

"Everybody ready?" Shego asked. They all nodded.

"Okay. Here goes."

They'd done their best to prepare for any dangers or surprises – Sheaghen's presence was proof of that. But, as usual – as always – the unexpected happened... unexpectedly. And, as is often the case, they should have known.

The glow did not begin gently, as it had before, starting with Shego and gradually including her partner - or partners, now - and building to a crescendo of arc-light brilliance; but instead came on all at once: from nothing to blinding, in an instant. The unseeable source of the light came from the empty center of the square of bodies; rather than from Shego or her points of contact with the others.

Sheaghen's instructions had not offered any insight as to what to do in this situation. But she had been told to wait _at least_ two minutes, in any event, unless something was obviously wrong. Did this count as "obviously wrong"? Her eyes - which were able to adjust to the light - showed her nothing extraordinary... no painful expressions on any of their faces, no burning skin where any of them touched. Was something wrong? Did they forget to tell her something? She decided that, unless something else she hadn't been warned to look for happened, she would give them the two minutes. But no more.

What they should have known was that they now formed a complete Set. The _four_ of them. The reason it hadn't occurred to them was Josh's fault, in a way. Spending as much time as he could with Ron (albeit often in the company of Shego and Kim), and most of the remaining time either in school or at the GJ's computer lab, Josh had never really connected with Kim or Shego. He hadn't even really known either of them very well before he'd become involved with Ron. Ron, on the other hand, had known Kim most of his life, and his connection with Shego had been her bullet of sudden clarity. Kim, Ron, and to a lesser extent, Shego, had a history together. Josh did not.

Kim and Shego: Lovers.

Kim and Ron: Best Friends.

Ron and Josh: Lovers.

Ron and Shego: Comrades.

Josh and Shego?

Josh and Kim?

Four separate people, three distinct relationships.

In the normal course of human affairs, it took _years_ for such relationships to develop to the point to where the partners could actually become aware of it. Under certain rare circumstances, it could be established within hours of intense shared experience, of one kind or another.

But it had _never_ happened to _anyone_ before like this: Josh and Shego found themselves to be Best Friends - instantly, without question, exceptions, or proof. And Kim and Josh discovered their Comradarie at the same time, and in the same way. No words – even unspoken – entered their minds - their _mind_. It was not surprising to him/her. It was _far_ beyond question. It was a simple TRUTH.

And the TRUTH bathed them in its light.

At one minute, thirty-seven point three-zero-eight-six-nine-six-eight seconds, as Sheaghen counted it, the light flashed out of it's own accord. The four stood there, eyes closed, unmoving, for another eight point two-six-zero seconds. Then they all opened at the same time.

The emptiness did not come, this time. The feeling that something previously un-shared, then shared intimately, then pulled away again, did not fill Kim, Shego, and Ron the way it had before. They did not share each other's memories, they were not feeling each other's thoughts or emotions... they were Separate, each to his or her own.

But something had been left behind... something permanent, and if any of them had been worried about it, they could have spent the rest of their lives trying to figure it out.

But none of them would. It wasn't necessary.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

(Five years later)

"So, Miss Possible, how's it feel to be a college grad?" Drakken asked, martini in hand.

Kim smiled at him, "Not all that different. I'm already behind in my grad-studies. When will it end?"

Dr. Mankey punched her shoulder as he went by, "If you're lucky, Comrade, it'll _never_ end!" He'd received his first PhD, from Cornell, at the age of 19. But he considered himself _still_ in school, and hoped he always would be. He walked over and sat by Ron on the couch.

Ron had been chatting with Ko. The GJ was letting her out with only the the ankle-bracelet tracker now. She had been telling him all about the new "Explodo-Ray" Drakken was working on, and they'd both been making fun of the name, laughing at Drakken's rather pulp-fiction, Flash Gordon mentality. Ko had been laughing so hard she rubbed her temples, which brought "Drew" - who always kept an eagle-eye on her – running.

"Are you alright, dear? Do you need to go lie down? Shall I bring you something to drink?"

Ko looked up at him and laughed again, "Oh, would you _please_ stop hovering over me like a mother goose! I'm fine. Really" she took his hand in hers, "I'll let you know if I feel anything bad, okay honey?"

"Well... okay, then. But I'm keeping an eye on you. If I see anything -"

"YES, dear. Now run along. Go show your new web-shooter to Dr. Director or something."

Drakken frowned at her, but then saw Dr. Director standing by the punch-bowl, and began excitedly working his way toward her, fumbling with something in his pocket.

"He keeps you on kind of a short leash, doesn't he, Mrs. Lipsky?" Ron asked her.

"It's getting longer all the time, Ron. He doesn't know it – and don't tell him – but Wade got me added to his credit-card accounts. Next week, I'm going shopping!" she laughed again.

Ron chuckled and looked at Wade over in the love seat with Sheaghen-4. They were arguing over something having to do with "recursion", again. They did that a lot... Apparently, he was for it – whatever it was – and she against. And as usual, but _especially_ when they argued, they were lost to the outside world. They wouldn't have noticed if the house had been on fire.

He looked back over at Josh, who appeared to be sniffing the air.

"Something burning?" he asked rhetorically.

Ron jumped out of his seat, "Holy Crap! My cheese-puffs!" and zipped through the crowd in a way only someone with Mystic Monkey Power could.

Josh watched him spin and weave and duck his way amongst the guests as if he were a video-game character. He never could see enough of that. It was amazing. Someone should do a study on efficient paths through chaotic circumstances, some time...

A scream tore through the room, "SHEGO!" It was Kim's scream. When someone yelled "Shego!" like that, it usually _was_ Kim.

Shego was standing in the doorway in her black-and-green... sweat suit. She'd given up on the form-fitting body-suit months ago – it just didn't have the right effect, when worn on a seven-month pregnant woman.

"What'd she say? Is everything -" Kim asked her before Shego could even get her coat off.

She smirked at Kim, "Everything is fine, Pumpkin. Could you help me off with this thing? I don't quite have the moves I used to, y'know..."

Kim helped her get the coat off with a guilty look on her face. "And by the way, it's definitely a boy. Let's just hope he doesn't inherit Josh's ears."

The conception of the baby had been... an interesting time. They'd decided as a group – after Dr. Possible had informed them that _any_ sort of Kim/Shego parentage was still decades away – that Josh would have to be the father because... well, because it would just be too weird to have Ron do it. Comrades, and all. _WAY _to weird. As a result, it actually took all four of them to make a baby: Ron's part was to make Josh forget who was sitting on top of him, while Kim performed a complementary service for Shego. And weird as _that_ was, they all still preferred it to the cold, clinical, and just downright _ICKY_ alternative.

"I heard that ear thing!" Josh yelled from the couch.

"Of course you did! That's what I mean!" Shego yelled back.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

_Outside, across the street, sat a solid white Mercedes, with the windows down. Lee sat inside it, smoking a cigar from Havana. He was in Middleton on other business, so this side-trip to the Possible residence was just a waste of time, and He knew it. The people inside were thinking of themselves as "happy". He knew better, He knew true Happiness, and what was going on inside the house wasn't so much as a speck of dust on the tip of the iceberg._

_But it was about as close to Heaven on Earth as anything could be, in this Existence, and even He liked – when He could – to be around it._

End


End file.
